#George and Astrid Kirchherr

[harrisonarchive]

George and Astrid in 1977; photo © Astrid Kirchherr.

“Astrid was the one, really, who influenced our image more than anybody.” - George Harrison, The Beatles Anthology

“I had the strongest friendship with George. He was one of my best friends. We saw each other often, and he always looked after me, got in touch constantly to ask if I was healthy and if I have everything. Today […] I still meet up with his wife Olivia and his son Dhani.” - Astrid Kirchherr, translated from Hörzu, 2005

“[Olivia] is a special lady and a wonderful woman, she is only what you would expect from someone married to such a wonderful man as George. [...] I was invited to a beautiful memorial service with Olivia and their son Dhani, who is so like George, at their beautiful home where George was happy being a gardener.’” - Astrid Kirchherr, Liverpool Echo, August 26, 2003

“I was in London then [in the late Sixties] and George said he needed a photo for the inner sleeve of his Wonderwall album. I said, I just don’t feel like it, and anyway I haven’t got a camera. He smiled and said, ‘Darling, I just need to click my fingers and there’s any camera you want!’ So I had to do it, and I do really like that picture. Then later George said, ‘Come over to London and I’ll set up a studio for you and you can be a photographer here.’ But I was so unsure then if I was any good or not, that I just couldn’t accept his offer. I’d had years of being called ‘The Beatles’ photographer’. I’d go into a magazine with my portfolio, and all they would want to talk about was The Beatles. They didn’t care if picture was out of focus or not, especially in the ’60s, as long as it had a Beatle in it. So I started to question myself. Are you actually good, or are you only good because you took pictures of The Beatles? And under those circumstances, I didn’t feel as if I could do it any more. I still take pictures - but these days they’re just in my mind.” - Astrid Kirchherr, The Beatles: Classic, Rare & Unseen

“He was then [in the early '60s], he still is now: my Georgie boy.” - Astrid Kirchherr, translated from Spiegel, 2/1994

“George was always my favorite, his kindness and his wit. He was just a wonderful person and whenever I was in trouble, like with money and things, he was always looking after me and he invited me a couple of times to London and later on to Henley. I just miss him terribly because he was like a little guardian angel for me, I feel like I am in a way lost without him.” - Astrid Kirchherr, Astrid Kirchherr: A Retrospective

“[Kirchherr] last saw George Harrison in mid-2001, months before he died, when he invited her to [Friar Park] for a last weekend with his family. ‘I remember we had a little walk in his park, and I was so full of love and joy to be with him that I cried,’ she says. ‘He said, “You must not cry, I will always look after you.” He had no fear. No fear whatsoever. I miss his presence, but I’ve got the feeling he’s still around me.’" - Peter Fetterman Gallery, Artists: Astrid Kirchherr (x)

[harrisonsbabygirl]

John and George visiting Stuart Sutcliffes room. Photographed by Astrid Kirchherr.

“After Stuart’s death, John and George really cared about me. They used to come and see me in my home. It was actually John’s suggestion. John said, ‘Can I see where he used to paint?’ So I said, ‘Of course, you can.’

“In that moment, I had to take a picture of them. I just grabbed this old chair and put it there. And John was so full of emotion, being in the same room where his friend was just painting, that he nearly burst out in tears. And George was all a bit worried. So I just said to George, ‘Well, stand behind him.’ You could see how quickly George understood what it was all about, death and being alive.

[dontleavemewaitinghere]

♫⋆｡ The iconic attic photoshoot which features George Harrison and John Lennon. Located in Hamburg, Germany in 1962, in Stuart Sutcliffe’s Art Studio, photographed by Astrid Kirchherr

It is shown that Lennon was standing in the same place as where Sutcliffe stood for an earlier photo that Kircherr had taken.

“It was like a merry-go-round in my head, they looked absolutely astonishing… My whole life changed in a couple of minutes. All I wanted was to be with them and to know them.” - Astrid Kirchherr commented on The Beatles (Snap Galleries).

[lenetaylor]

George and his "Asser"

A letter from George Harrison to Astrid Kircherr, August 1963, on stationery from the Palace Court, Bournemouth, where The Beatles had played The Gaumont, from Monday 19th August to Saturday 24th August 1963.

There is a LOT going on in this letter (George's obsession with photos?, George writing a book??, hate for Mrs. Sutcliffe???, George's aching balls????), but what endeared me was his nickname for Astrid: "Asser", which would be pronounced Assa or Azza. It's true, Hazza and the lads had loads of Northern nicknames for their mates!

My transcription under the cut.

DEAR ASTRID,

Do you remember me asking you in Tenerife to write to me as soon as you get back to Hamburg? You didn’t know how long you were going to stay at Klaus’ house, so you would write to me from Hamburg, then I would send you all the records and fun and games!

Betty (the great) comes to England all fat and sloppy saying, - “Vhy you no write to Astrid,” as if it was my fault, so just shut up. Anyway Asser, I bought you the records I told you about years ago, and they are still at home covered in dust, so if you have decided where about’s you are living lately, then let me know and I will send them to you with some other nice ones that you would like.

Fat Betty has seen all the Happy holiday Photos, hasn’t she? but I haven’t, oh-no. You won’t show them to me will you!

Actually if she had not come to England with King Size, then I would still be wondering which part of the world you where in!

I bought a Jaguar (car) last month, I think you would like it. I will send you a photograph of it, with the records as soon as I get back to Liverpool.

I hope you don’t think I am being funny but…..Could you look through your photographs and find some – or all of the photo’s that have the Beatles, either all together or separately, or that any of us with other people on them, in fact any photographs at all that may be of interest and then if you felt in a HAPPY ASTRID MOOD, do you think that you could either GIVE or LEND them to me. It does not matter if they photographs are terrible, as I won’t tell anybody that you made them, if you want me to.

You know that Paul and John are going to be very rich soon, when they collect the money they have made by writing all those songs, and I don’t think that you would like to see me poor and hungry, so I have decided to make a book. It won’t be a DA SADE type book, but a daft story about the BEATLES, with some photographs in it, and then I hope to sell it to all the nice people and then I can buy food with the money…Can’t I?

I would like to have some pictures that the people haven’t already seen in all the other books, so that is why I am asking you. It would be very nice of you, even if the pictures were old at the Indra and KaiserKeller and Top Ten. I know you are very particular about what you do with all the lovely photos, but if you are nice and send me some with the negatives, then I will kill Mrs. Sutcliffe for you! But if you don’t, then I will pay for Mrs. S. To go to Hamburg and see you for a Holiday!!!

What happened to Jürgen? Do you know his address? Where is Klaus now, as I still haven’t said ‘Thank you’ for letting us live in his house.

How are you Asser? Are you well, because I have been ill all week, feeling tired all the time. The doctor gave me a tonic which is like liquid preludin. My balls have been aching too, and banging around on stage!

We will be in Paris for 3 weeks in January. I will write again with the records cheerio and love from Georgie (your friend who wants the photos)

This was published in the July 2015 issue of Record Collector.

[stargiirl27]

the early beatles collection by astrid kirchherr

[evrythingisabeatlesreferance]

On this day in 1962, the original bassist of the Beatles Stuart Sutcliffe died of a brain haemorrhage. Stu died on the way to hospital in Hamburg, Germany, and in the arms of his girlfriend Astrid Kirchherr. He was only 21.

[beatle-stories333]

i love how john, cynthia, astrid, paul, klaus, jürgen, and sometimes ringo talk about george like he’s their lil baby boy

[ludmilachaibemachado]

During the production of A Hard Day's Night the Beatles enjoyed several weeks of living a 9 to 5 type schedule and having many evenings free. Astrid Kirchherr visited from Hamburg and photographed the Beatles and their families on set and during intimate moments at home in London and Liverpool🌼🌹🌸

Via 1964 - Beatles at Home in London & Liverpool FB🌷

Via Something About the Beatles’ Girls FB💐

[kichisaburo3]

Beatles Paul McCartney And George Harrison By Astrid Kirchherr in 1960 Hamburg Colorization Reblogged

Wikipedia Astrid Kirchherr https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrid_Kirchherr

TAG of BEATLES in my Tumblr https://kichisaburo3.tumblr.com/tagged/BEATLES

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Mono Photo Reblogged From :

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11 AUG 2024 Sunday

[harrisonarchive]

Green Street, London, 1964; photo by Max Scheler.

“[Kirchherr] last saw George Harrison in mid-2001, months before he died, when he invited her to [Friar Park] for a last weekend with his family. ‘I remember we had a little walk in his park, and I was so full of love and joy to be with him that I cried,’ she says. ‘He said, “You must not cry, I will always look after you.” He had no fear. No fear whatsoever. I miss his presence, but I’ve got the feeling he’s still around me.’" - Peter Fetterman Gallery, Artists: Astrid Kirchherr (x)

[beatlesincolour]

[beatlesficrecs]

(You’ve got to pick up) every stitch

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21288626

By @unchaineddaisychain / Unchained_Daisychain on AO3

Summary: John hates Halloween, but he loves making his ex jealous. And if he uses a total stranger to do it, well…what’s the harm in that?

I love this fic because it’s so perfectly seasonal. I personally have been drunk in a bathtub at a college party, and there’s something so cozy and familiar about Halloween college parties. This fic has that, as well as scorching hot tension between John and Paul. Oh, it’s also amazingly well written. I think any John/paul fan would love this!

Link to fic

[dontleavemewaitinghere]

♫⋆｡ The Beatles in Hamburg, Germany 1960, before Ringo Starr joined the band. The ‘5 Beatles’ were featured in Astrid Kirchherr’s photographs (1938-2020).

The 5 Beatles in 1960 members were; Pete Best, George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and Stuart Sutcliffe, 1960.

[vincentb95]

[likeapomegranate]

George Harrison, 1962 ©Astrid Kirchherr

[kaiserkeller]

Remembering Stuart Sutcliffe, who passed away on this day in 1962.

‘Come Foreward’ [sic] by Stuart Sutcliffe, February 1958:

“Perhaps when spring is near with skies and conscience clear will come the breath of light which through my sight will puff and blow the webs away will break the chains one day until through my lazy eye I’ll see all.”

Photo: Astrid Kirchherr, 1961/62.