Portland, OR. Thousands of Oregon Beatles fans have been visiting the Oregon Historical Society’s (OHS) new Beatles exhibit. Over 100 objects and interactive elements fill the gallery, some on exhibit for the first time. One of the most prominent cases features Paul McCartney’s jacket from The Beatles’ historic 1965 Shea Stadium concert.
This display case at OHS shows the jacket which was worn. McCartney also wore this iconic jacket when The Beatles performed in Portland, Oregon, at the Memorial Coliseum on August 22, 1965.
Curated by the GRAMMY Museum and Fab Four Exhibits, this exhibit, called Ladies and Gentlemen…The Beatles!, covers the period from early 1964 through mid-1966, a time when the band affected nearly every aspect of pop culture, including fashion, art, advertising, media, and music. Here’s a video of the 1965 Shea Stadium concert, which was the first of its kind:
Later, Ringo Starr said about the concert: “If you look at the film footage you can see how we reacted to the place. It was very big and very strange. I feel that on that show John cracked up. He went mad; not mentally ill, but he just got crazy. He was playing the piano with his elbows and it was really strange.”
Paul McCartney said, “It’s like this: You make a noise and they make a noise, and it’s the noise together that counts. It’s the bible, really, with Cecil B. De Mille and 60,000 extras.”
The Oregon Historical Society’s version of the exhibit also features the original performance contract and rider to bring The Beatles to Portland, as well as an original press pass.
Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney wave from limo as they leave the Portland Airport for the Coliseum. Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
This mock-up of The Beatles’ “Ed Sullivan Show” setup from Feb. 9, 1964, is part of a new exhibit.
Other exhibition highlights include:
- Ringo Starr’s black-on-black striped suit worn in The Beatles’ debut film A Hard Day’s Night and Ringo’s Abbey Road crosswalk jacket
- Paul McCartney’s original handwritten lyric sheet for the song, “What You’re Doing” (August 1964)
- Handwritten set lists from The Beatles’ concerts, including the earliest known set list (Grosvenor Ballroom, June 1960) and the one used onstage at the group’s first-ever American concert (Washington D.C., February 11, 1964)
- Gold records of I Want To Hold Your Hand and Rubber Soul
- Venue contracts from the band’s American tours
- An eye-popping display of mass-produced merchandising items
- Kid-friendly interactive elements including a virtual drumming lesson from Ringo and a playable home-made skiffle bass
The exhibit featuring many photos of Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, and John Lennon is on display at the Oregon Historical Society through November 12, 2019.
A new film premiering June 28th called, Yesterday is also likely to bring The Beatles to a new generation of fans. Here’s a synopsis of the new film: A struggling musician realizes he’s the only person on Earth who can remember The Beatles after waking up in an alternate timeline where they never existed. Here’s a trailer for Yesterday:
Here’s more information about The Oregon Historical Society:
Location
Oregon Historical Society
1200 SW Park Ave.
Portland, OR 97205
(503) 222-1741
[email protected]
Museum Hours
Monday – Saturday: 10am – 5pm
Sundays: Noon – 5pm
Admission
| Members | FREE |
| Multnomah Co. Residents (with proof of residency*) | FREE |
| Adults | $10 |
| Students & Teachers (with ID) | $8 |
| Seniors (60+) | $8 |
| Youth (6 – 18) | $5 |
| Children (5 & under) | FREE |
*Proof of Multnomah County residency can include a State Issued Identification Card, Driver’s License, or utility bill. Library cards and TriMet passes are not valid forms of ID.
