Reversed Beatles Abbey Road photo up for '$14,330' auction

A photograph with the Beatles crossing the famous Abbey Road in reverse is to be auctioned

A rare photograph of the Beatles crossing the famous Abbey Road in reverse is coming to auction on May 22.

The original photograph, shot for the Fab Four's 11th studio album, has become one of the most iconic covers in history. It shows the Beatles, led by John Lennon, making their way from left to right outside the EMI studios on Abbey Road in London.

Very few images from the original shoot survive, as Iain Macmillan, the photographer behind the cover, was given just 10 minutes to capture the Beatles crossing the road, while he tottered at the top of a ladder and a policeman held up the traffic.

The print, numbered three in an edition of 25, will undoubtedly draw huge interest from Beatles fans, and is likely to exceed its estimate considerably. Valued at £7,000-9,000, the photograph provides a fantastic rarity for collectors, with the band not only crossing in the opposite direction but also featuring several slight alterations from the well-known cover.  

Paul McCartney wanders across barefoot in the original, however in this image he can be seen wearing a rather fetching pair of sandals. He is also pictured smoking on the 1969 album cover, but he appears to have finished in the auction's photograph.

The current sale at PFC Auctions features a brilliant range of Beatles memorabilia, including this John Lennon owned guitar.

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Images: Bloomsbury Auctions