'Paul McCartney Photographs 1963–64: Eyes of the Storm' to Open at Frist Art Museum, Nashville

Frist Art Museum announces ⁠Paul McCartney Photographs 1963–64: Eyes of the Storm 
⁠⁠⁠⁠On view November 7, 2025–January 26, 2026

⁠⁠Find out more and plan your visit

See all current and upcoming venues for this exhibition

The Frist Art Museum presents Paul McCartney Photographs 1963–64: Eyes of the Storm, an unprecedented look at the extraordinary archive of recently discovered photographs made by Paul at the start of Beatlemania. Organized by the National Portrait Gallery, London, the exhibition will be on view in the Frist’s Upper-Level Galleries from November 7, 2025 through January 26, 2026. Advance tickets will available on Wednesday, October 8.

Eyes of the Storm is an intimate and historic opportunity to see nearly 300 photographs made by Paul between December 1963 and February 1964, along with a selection of ephemera providing context for the story told by the photographs. Over the course of these three short months, The Beatles—Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr—were propelled beyond being the most popular band in Britain to an unprecedented international cultural phenomenon.

The photographs in this exhibition, taken by Paul with his own camera, provide a uniquely personal perspective on what it was like to be a Beatle—from gigs in Liverpool and London to performing on The Ed Sullivan Show in New York for an unparalleled television audience of 73 million.

Drawn from Paul’s own personal archive, the majority of these images have never been seen before this exhibition tour. They allow us to experience The Beatles’ extraordinarily rapid rise from a successful regional band to global stardom through Paul’s eyes. At a time when so many camera lenses were on them, this perspective—from the inside—brings fresh insight to the band, their experiences, the fans, and the early 1960s.

Frist Art Museum Chief Curator Mark Scala notes, “There is something wonderfully revealing about these behind-the-scenes glimpses of musicians we thought we knew so well. What stands out is not just the sweetness and immediacy of the images, but McCartney’s intuitive understanding of how to make a compelling picture.”

The photographs reveal the intensity of touring and of long days spent in rehearsal, in hotels, and on the road, being followed by the media at every stage. “They evoke an affectionate family album, picturing his fellow band members—John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr—at a time when their lives were changing irrevocably,” writes Rosie Broadley, head of collection displays and senior curator of 20th-century collections at London’s National Portrait Gallery. “Where McCartney appears in the photographs, he had handed his camera to a member of The Beatles’ team, enabling us to capture glimpses of him performing onstage or posing for pictures.

On the exhibition’s audio tour, guests can listen to Paul’s personal reflections about selected works. While the exhibition is on view in Nashville, public programs will include panel discussions, photography ARTlabs, musical performances, and film screenings.