Astrid Kirchherr

Description: A b/w 4x6 promotional photocard signed in silver sharpie giving a nice clear signature & contrast of this early friend and style influence to The Beatles.


Astrid Kirchherr was born May 20th, 1938 in Hamburg.

From 1957 until 1960 she studied photography at the Meisterschule für Mode, Textil, Graphik und Werbung. Reinhard Wolf was her teacher. From 1959 until 1963 she worked as his assistant.

In 1960 Astrid Kirchherr met the Beatles when they had their first stint in Hamburg. After becoming friends she took impressive group photographs and single shots of The Beatles and their members who at that time still played with Pete Best instead of Ringo Starr and with Stuart Sutcliffe who left the group for taking up his art studies again in Hamburg and living with Astrid Kirchherr.

Since 1964 Astrid Kirchherr worked as a freelance photographer, and in the same year she and Max Scheler went to see The Beatles at the shooting of "A Hard Day`s Night" for STERN magazine. In 1968 she took the photograph for the cover of "Wonderwall Music" by George Harrison.

In the 70`s and 80`s photography became less important for Astrid Kirchherr. The movie BACKBEAT (England 1994), based on Astrid`s and Stuart`s life in Hamburg, created a new interest for her photos. Astrid Kirchherr`s photos have been shown in Hamburg, Bremen, London, New York, Washington D.C., Tokyo, Vienna, and the Rock`n`Roll Hall of Fame.