We are an eBay affiliate and may be compensated for clicks on links that result in purchases.

The Beatles NY Arrival on Pan Am

I have a photograph that appears to show the four Beatles after they deplaned from the Pan Am flight from London to NY in 1965 and which appears to bear the signatures of all four. It’s a glossy 8x10 black and white. The signatures of John, Paul, and George are quite prominent in a black marker. Ringo’s is in red or orange and is less prominent. The reverse side bears writing with the title “TWA ‘Beatle’ Flight”, identifies Flight # 703, the date August13, 1965, Flying Time 7 hr 10 min and the altitude 35,000. It has a signature which looks like “Bauer.” The photo has no creases but some very gentle “dents.” The provenance as told to me about 40 years ago from my friend, Bob Brown, is that the flight purser had a number of these and he handed them out to children in his neighborhood in suburban New Jersey. Bob would have been about 10-12 years old in 1965. During his life Bob displayed it in his home in a plain black glass frame. When he passed away about 12 years ago, his widow gifted it to me for favors I had done and assistance to Bob in his final illness. During a move the frame and glass broke without damaging the photo. However, the plain reverse side shows discoloration from the many years in a frame with a cardboard backing.

For the reasons described, I believe the photo and signatures are authentic, but I welcome your opinions and any other information on similar autographed copies of the photo.

0 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by BallroomDays67 on August 8, 2024 at 12:00pm

Unfortunately, the signatures aren’t authentic in my opinion.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jim Cushman on August 8, 2024 at 7:09pm

The photo isn't from 1965...it's from Feb.7, 1964...The Beatles first trip to the US...the signatures are not genuine...

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by James Michael Miller on August 10, 2024 at 10:20am

Here is a photo of a newspaper clipping which supports the date and provenance of the photo.

i would appreciate learning the basis for any opinion that the signatures are not authentic.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by fab432 on August 10, 2024 at 10:44am

The date on the newspaper photo is August 1965. However it may in fact be referring to the Beatles arrival in 1964 one year earlier. The caption under the photo does not indicate the photo was taken in 1965

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by BallroomDays67 on August 10, 2024 at 12:55pm

They aren’t consistent with their authentic signatures with regard to shape and letter formation. John’s in particular differs substantially from his authentic signature. I was wondering if they could possibly be Fan Club secretarials, but I’m not sure about that.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by terrier8HOF on August 11, 2024 at 6:12am

the basis is that they look nothing like known authentic examples from the

64-'65 era, or any era for that matter. They are not even close

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by James Michael Miller on August 10, 2024 at 10:26am

On the 1964 visit the boys flew on PanAm. My photo shows TWA which is the airline they flew in August 1965.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by fab432 on August 10, 2024 at 10:41am

I’m pretty sure your photo shows a TWA staircase not the plane. The photo you have definitely looks like it’s from 1964. I doubt the Beatles changed their clothes on the plane from what they were wearing at Heathrow airport prior to boarding the plane.