Never-before-seen photos of the Beatles during a tour of Germany in 1966 have come to light.
The candid snaps include the Fab Four relaxing in their hotel suite as well as intimate, close-up shots of them performing on stage.
They were taken by unknown photographer Frank Fischbeck who gained remarkable access to John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr during their stay in Munich.
A previously unseen archive of 140 photographs of The Beatles during a 1966 tour of Germany, including this image of Paul McCartney is going under the hammer next month in London
Celebrated German photographer Frank Fishbeck managed to gain access to the band’s hotel room where he took these intimate photographs of the band including this shot of Ringo Starr posing with phone of Fishbeck’s cameras
The band initially thought Fishbeck was a member of staff at the hotel but allowed him to stay and document their visit, with photographs, including this one of George Harrison holding a banana while at breakfast
They initially thought he was a member of hotel staff and he was allowed into their suite at the Bayerischer Hof Hotel.
By the time they realised he was a photographer they had taken a liking to him and told him he could stay.
One image shows George Harrison holding up a banana while another is of Ringo Starr wearing a psychedelic shirt with huge collars taking a ‘selfie’ in the mirror.
Fischbeck was also invited to their concert that night at the Circus Krone Bau venue and he was able to get remarkable shots of them on stage
He also documented the Fab Four’s departure from Munich Central Station as they headed for the next date of their tour.
Fischbeck, pictured, photographed the band, including a happy-looking John Lennon, pictured, on stage at the Circus Krone Bau in Munich in June 1966. The band would make their final official stage appearance in San Francisco in August
The collection of 140 photos is being sold with copyright by auction house Spink & Son, of London, for £30,000.
Tom Fell, a specialist at Spink & Son, said: ‘Frank Fischbeck, a celebrated freelance photographer, with the skill of inconspicuousness, photographic opportunism and the use of a slick suit, had managed to get closer to the group than anyone could have hoped for.
‘Through prior knowledge of the Beatles’ arrival in the basement of the hotel, Fischbeck simply followed them into the elevator and through to their room, comfortably passing as an affable member of staff.
‘It is credit to Fischbeck’s skill that the four band members appear relaxed and playful in front of the camera; George Harrison and Paul McCartney eat fruit in front of his lens and Ringo Starr even takes Fischbeck’s camera to take a picture of himself in the hotel mirror.
‘Fischbeck was then invited back by the group to the concert where he achieved these personal close-ups of the band in performance including images of each band member mostly separately, but on occasion, singing together into the same microphone.
At the time these photographs were taken in June 1966 the Beatles were on the verge of abandoning live shows, although the band did not formally break up until April 1970 when Paul McCartney announced he was quitting the band
The photographs, including this one of John Lennon, right, and George Harrison, left, will be sold in London by auctioneers Spink & Son, of London, for £30,000. The new owner will have copyright over the images
The band travelled between the gigs in Munich, Essen and Hamburg – where they had their first big break – on a luxury train. Some of the images, such of this of Ringo, pictured, were taken on the train
‘The following morning, Fischbeck saw the group onto the train, managing to sit with them in their carriages and achieving some of the most striking shots of the collection capturing a brooding Ringo walking through the carriage wearing sunglasses.
‘This is a fantastic opportunity to obtain remarkable unpublished images of the Beatles’ only performance in Munich and their penultimate international tour.’
Fischbeck was a photographer for Time and Life magazines, later covering the Vietnam War and the ‘Ping Pong’ diplomacy prior to President Richard Nixon’s arrival in Beijing in 1972.
The Munich concerts (they performed twice on one night) took place on June 24, 1966 with subsequent shows in Essen and Hamburg.
The sale takes place on July 9.