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Now These Days Are Gone

'Help!' The Beatles Photography by Michael Peto

Michael Peto

'The many rolls Peto shot of The Beatles relaxing during breaks in filming Help! in 1965 did not even make it to picture editors' desks. The world can now see what the newspapers missed... Now These Days Are Gone by Genesis Publications.' – The Independent

When photojournalist Michael Peto died in 1970, he left the University of Dundee an incredible 130,000 prints and negatives. In 2004, while archiving the work, the University found an astonishing collection – hundreds of photographs taken during the making of The Beatles' second feature film, Help!

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The Photography

Now These Days Are Gone

Ringo: 'Every day when there's a break in filming you get a chance to see rushes of the scenes they shot the day before.' Paul: 'And that's hilarious because you get to see all the bits of the film where somebody mucked things up by laughing and forgetting their lines.'

Michael Peto's photos capture The Beatles on the set of Help! at Twickenham Studios on Salisbury Plain, enjoying dinner at their Salisbury hotel, relaxing over tea and biscuits with their Help! co-stars, in the recording studio, and facing press the day their MBEs were announced to the world.
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The Manuscript

Now These Days Are Gone

'Completely engrossing... a virtual museum of nostalgic photography contained within gilded pages.' - Goldmine

1965 was an incredibly important year for The Beatles. That summer Help! was not only the band's last feature film, it was their last stand as lovable mop-tops. In October they would record Rubber Soul and begin a period of unprecedented musical and lyrical innovation that would change the face of popular music forever. It was the year The Beatles evolved from mere pop stars into the most important band in history, icons of the age.
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The Author

Now These Days Are Gone

Acclaimed photographer Colin Jones writes the book's Foreword. It was when Michael Peto first showed Colin's photos to the picture editor of The Observer, that Colin's own career as a Fleet Street photographer was given a kickstart.

'He would tell me such things as, "Do not look at photography for inspiration, If you get stuck, cool off in art gallery." "Take pictures with your brain, not your eyes." "A good photograph is the one you can walk around like a piece of sculpture." I now realise, many years later, that he was using photography as art. Michael was never interested in the competitive side of photography, winning awards or joining prestigious agencies: he absolutely hated all that.'

'The Beatles photographs were never used. He got great portraits because he was always very polite, very gentle and he would flatter people. He also knew when to leave, which is a skill many photographers don't have. I know that he would be surprised to see this book of his Beatles photographs.' - Colin Jones
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The Collector Copies

Now These Days Are Gone

NOW THESE DAYS ARE GONE is a limited edition of just 2,500 copies.

Copies numbered 351-2,500 are Collector copies and bound in quarter leather and Assuan canvas. They feature gold-blocking on the spine and front board, and are housed in a red slipcase inset with four portraits of The Beatles.

NOW THESE DAYS ARE GONE contains 256 pages (315mm x 268mm), printed and hand-bound in Milan on 200gsm matt-art paper. The photographs are reproduced in duotone with image varnishing and the text is printed in three separate inks.

Every copy in the edition is signed by the Principle and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Dundee, Sir Alan Langlands.

Now These Days Are Gone

'Help!' The Beatles Photography by Michael Peto

Select from the following editions:

Collector

NO LONGER AVAILABLE

Deluxe

Now These Days Are Gone

Now These Days Are Gone

  • ISBN:
    090435198X
  • Collector:
    2150 copies
  • Signed by:
    Sir Alan Langlands
  • Contributors:
    The University of Dundee, Paolo Hewitt, Colin Jones
  • Paper:
    200gsm matt art paper
Collector £295

While The Beatles were shooting their second feature film, Help! Michael Peto was working for The Observer Sunday newspaper – then the UK's most prestigious publication for photojournalists. His position ensured access to The Beatles over the course of a year. The new limited edition book NOW THESE DAYS ARE GONE features nearly 300 pictures of The Beatles that have never been published before.

  • Page size: 268mm x 315mm
  • 256 pages
  • 250 images

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Since 1974 Genesis has created signed limited edition books on behalf of authors and artists ranging from the Beatles to Buckingham Palace.

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