She Loves Them! Lucky fan’s rare, candid behind-the-scenes photos of the Fab Four rehearsing for the Ed Sullivan show in Miami in 1964 as Beatlemania swept America emerge for auction five decades on
- Beatles first visited U.S. in February 1964 to appear on Ed Sullivan Show
- Band traveled from New York to Miami for a special live show at Deauville Hotel where the South Florida Chapter fan club president Jane Sollogub met them
- The lucky girl took a few photos of the group, got John Lennon’s autograph and saved mementos from the hotel
- Now, five decades later all of the items she collected from that special day are up for grabs in an online auction that’s set to end August 8th
It was at the height of Beatles mania when the rock group made their first trip across the pond in February 1964 to perform on the legendary Ed Sullivan Show in New York City.
A week later, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr flew down to Florida to join Sullivan again, but this time at Miami’s Deauville Hotel for a special live show.
The iconic group was met with screams from thousands of teen girls waiting to catch a glimpse of the young heart throbs.
Among the masses was then 15-year-old Jane Sollogub who happened to be the president of the South Florida chapter of the official National Beatles Fan Club.
The lucky teen had been invited to the hotel to attend both the rehearsal and live broadcast since she interned at Miami radio station WFUN.
Sollogub had such close access to the Beatles, she even obtained Lennon’s autograph while in the hotel’s elevator.
Now, five decades later all of the items she collected from that special day on February 16, 1964 are up for grabs in an online auction that’s set to end August 8th.
Historic: During their first trip to the U.S., John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show in New York City in February 1964 before flying to Miami to join Sullivan again for a special live show at Miami’s Deauville Hotel. Among the masses of screaming fans was then 15-year-old Jane Sollogub who was the president of the South Florida chapter of the official National Beatles Fan Club. She snapped a few images of the group, including the one above
Sollogub captured the black-and-white image above showing a young McCartney while he signs an autograph. Now, five decades later all of the items she collected from that special day on February 16, 1964 are up for grabs in an online auction that’s set to end August 8th
The teen girl was also able to snap this photo showing McCartney and Harrison posing together in their crisp suits while standing in an elevator at the hotel
Sollogub also captured this image of the British rock band on stage performing in Miami. Speaking to DailyMail.com about the extraordinary archive, Executive Vice-President at RR Auction Bobby Livingston noted just how exclusive her access to the Beatles during their Miami stop was at the time
Speaking to DailyMail.com about the extraordinary archive, Executive Vice-President at RR Auction Bobby Livingston noted just how exclusive her access to the Beatles during their Miami stop was at the time.
‘She had incredible access that most people didn’t have because at the time, if you remember all of the film footage, I mean it was insane the mania over the Beatles once they got to America was incredible and you couldn’t get close to them,’ he said.
‘But because she was the fan club president she was able to get in and get into the rehearsal. One of the most valuable things we have is the admission ticket to the rehearsal.
‘There were only several hundred of those that were issued and so to have one, intact that belonged to her is extremely valuable.’
Besides the ticket, the archive also includes candid photos of the group, which is the best-selling band in history with estimated sales of over 800 million digital and physical albums worldwide.
Sollogub kept her admission ticket (above) for their rehearsal at the hotel and it’s actually one of the most valuable things part of the auction, Livingston shared
Livingston said: ‘There were only several hundred of those that were issued and so to have one, intact that belonged to her is extremely valuable.’ Pictured above is the back of the admission ticket she saved
She was also able to grab stationary from the hotel to obtain John Lennon’s autograph (pictured above). Sollogub even dated the signature in the corner as ‘Sunday, February 16, 1964’
Other items in the auction include a matchbook from the hotel (pictured above) that’s completely intact and not missing any matches
Also included in the auction is a letter addressed to Sollogub acknowledging that the South Florida chapter is the largest official chapter in Florida of the Beatles Fan Club
There is also a certificate to certify that the South Florida chapter is truly an affiliated chapter of the official National Beatles Fan Club (above)
‘The other really great thing in the archive is this really wonderful candid photo of the boys backstage, very relaxed, but they are wearing their stage outfits – the beautiful Beatles suits – the ones with the black collar,’ Livingston noted.
‘And they are just relaxed backstage in the photo. It’s such a great little view of the most famous band in the world at that moment. They were at the height of the mania. I think those photos are really cool.’
The other images up for grabs include three original black-and-white candids of the group outside of the 12th floor elevator at the Miami hotel. One phot shows McCartney, Harrison and Starr in their suits while two security guards and their stylist stand nearby.
Another image just shows McCartney and Harrison posing together while another just shows McCartney as he signs an autograph.
There’s also an original black-and-white candid photo showing the rock band while they perform on stage for the Ed Sullivan Show at the Deauville Hotel.
‘And then the other items in the archive are from the hotel itself at the time and include a matchbook and menu, I just think it’s really fabulous,’ Livingston added.
A newsletter from the South Florida Chapter of the Beatles Fan Club is included (left) as well as the notice saying the publication of the newsletter has been discontinued (right)
‘But then of course Sollogub had the Deauville Hotel stationary and got a beautiful John Lennon autograph, which is truly just incredible.’
The archive is being sold by the family of Sollogub and they hope to get it in the hands of ‘a Beatles collector that will treasure it for another generation,’ Livingston shared.
‘You can see this was one of the great moments of her life as it would have been for any of us,’ he remarked.
‘And to keep this archive would have been a natural thing to do in your lifetime. Can you imagine being a teenager and meeting the Beatles, getting their autograph, having your photos taken with them? It’s just an incredibly rare moment for someone to experience.
‘All of it as a whole tells a really beautiful story of the Beatles in America and the Beatles in Miami.’
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