Iain MacMillan
Encyclopedia
Iain Stewart Macmillan, (20 October 1938 - 8 May 2006) was the Scottish photographer famous for taking the cover photograph for The Beatles
' album Abbey Road
in 1969. After growing up in Scotland
, he moved to London
to become a professional photographer. He used a photo of Yoko Ono
in a book he published in 1966 and was invited by Yoko to photograph her exhibit at Indica Gallery
. She introduced him to John Lennon
. John invited him to be the photographer for the cover of Abbey Road. He worked with the Lennons for several years even staying for a while at their home in New York.
and graduated in 1954. He worked as a trainee manager at a jute
mill.
. His first work was as a cruise photographer. He returned to Dundee in 1959 to photograph street scenes. From this work The Sunday Times
and the Illustrated London News
commissioned him in the early 1960s. In the mid-1960s he worked on an exhibition catalogue for "The Sculpture of David Wynne". He also photographed "The Book of London" (1966), Yoko appears on page 181 presenting a demonstration of "Handkercheif Piece". The photo shows Yoko and three others wearing handkerchiefs tied over their mouths. She commissioned him to photograph her exhibit at the Indica Gallery
in St. James's
, London.
, London. They decided to name their last album after the road. Later EMI changed the name of the studio to the Abbey Road Studios
.
Iain was given a sketch by Paul McCartney
a couple of days before the shoot showing where and what the picture should look like. Iain added his own sketch in the top corner to confirm the layout. The Volkswagen? Iain said "The car just happened to be standing there. It had been left there by someone on holiday. Nobody with any connection to The Beatles. A policeman tried to move it away for us, but he couldn't". On 8 August 1969, around 11:30am, Iain climbed up a stepladder about 10 feet in the air in the middle of Abbey Road and took six pictures of the Beatles crossing the street. A policeman was hired to control traffic. The Beatles usually came to the studio around 2-3pm so the earlier hour was chosen to avoid fans.
First Photo. John leads the group from left to right followed by Ringo
, Paul and George
. They kept this order throughout all the photos. There is a Mercedes pulling out of the studio behind them. John is looking away from the camera and Paul and George are in mid step. Paul is wearing sandals
Second Photo. They walk back in the same order. Good spacing but only John has a full step.
Third Photo. Left to right again, full steps this time but they are all too far left. There is now a traffic backup. There is a taxi, two vans and a double decker bus waiting to come forward. Paul is now barefoot.
Fourth Photo. Walking right to left, once again Paul Ringo and George all in mid step. The traffic has gone through but the bus has stopped to watch. This photo is the cover of Abbey Road by Brian Southall.
Fifth Photo. This photo was used for the cover of the album and is the only photo where we see Paul smoking. The only one with their legs in perfect formation. The three men on the left above Paul's head are Alan Flanagan, Steve Millwood and Derek Seagrove. They were interior decorators returning from a lunch break. On the right side between John and Ringo's head is Paul Cole an American tourist.
Sixth Photo. Ringo slightly too far behind John.
After the shoot Iain went to find a road sign for use on the back cover. It was taken on the corner with Alexandra Road. During photographing the sign a girl in a blue dress walked through the shot. Iain was angry but later it was chosen as the back cover. The wall with the sign was demolished several years later.
Iain worked for John and Yoko till 1971 doing such work as
. In 1980 Iain took the cover photo for the album "Hinge and Bracket
at Abbey Road" which was a parody of the Beatles photo. In the 1980s his work was on exhibit in the US, Britain and Europe. The BBC used some of his photos in the series "The Rock and Roll Years". After the death of his mother Iain moved back to Carnoustie
, Scotland. On 22 July 1993 Iain photographed Paul McCartney at Abbey Road on the zebra crossing, this time with only an Old English Sheepdog
. The shot was used on the cover of Paul is Live
album.
On 8 May 2006 at the age of 67, Iain died of lung cancer
.
The Book of London by Iain Stewart Macmillan
The Young Meteors: an Inside Report on the Rising Stars of London in Fashion, Entertainment, Modeling, Art, Politics, Journalism by Johnathan Aitken (Author), Iain Macmillan (Illustrator)
Civil Aviation Iain Macmillan & Dudley Foy
The Death of the English Pub. Christopher Hutt
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' album Abbey Road
Abbey Road (album)
Abbey Road is the eleventh studio album released by the English rock band The Beatles and their last recorded. Though Let It Be was the last album released before the band's dissolution in 1970, work on Abbey Road began in April 1969...
in 1969. After growing up in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, he moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to become a professional photographer. He used a photo of Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono
is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
in a book he published in 1966 and was invited by Yoko to photograph her exhibit at Indica Gallery
Indica Gallery
Indica Gallery was a counterculture art gallery in Mason's Yard , St. James's, London, England during the late 1960s, in the basement of the Indica Bookshop co-owned by John Dunbar, Peter Asher and Barry Miles...
. She introduced him to John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
. John invited him to be the photographer for the cover of Abbey Road. He worked with the Lennons for several years even staying for a while at their home in New York.
Early years
Iain was born in Dundee, Scotland. He attended the High School of DundeeHigh School of Dundee
The High School of Dundee is an independent, co-educational, day school in the city of Dundee, Scotland which provides both primary and secondary education to just over one thousand pupils...
and graduated in 1954. He worked as a trainee manager at a jute
Jute
Jute is a long, soft, shiny vegetable fibre that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. It is produced from plants in the genus Corchorus, which has been classified in the family Tiliaceae, or more recently in Malvaceae....
mill.
1958-1966
He moved to London in 1958 to study Photography at the Regent Street PolytechnicUniversity of Westminster
The University of Westminster is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom. Its origins go back to the foundation of the Royal Polytechnic Institution in 1838, and it was awarded university status in 1992.The university's headquarters and original campus are based on Regent...
. His first work was as a cruise photographer. He returned to Dundee in 1959 to photograph street scenes. From this work The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
and the Illustrated London News
Illustrated London News
The Illustrated London News was the world's first illustrated weekly newspaper; the first issue appeared on Saturday 14 May 1842. It was published weekly until 1971 and then increasingly less frequently until publication ceased in 2003.-History:...
commissioned him in the early 1960s. In the mid-1960s he worked on an exhibition catalogue for "The Sculpture of David Wynne". He also photographed "The Book of London" (1966), Yoko appears on page 181 presenting a demonstration of "Handkercheif Piece". The photo shows Yoko and three others wearing handkerchiefs tied over their mouths. She commissioned him to photograph her exhibit at the Indica Gallery
Indica Gallery
Indica Gallery was a counterculture art gallery in Mason's Yard , St. James's, London, England during the late 1960s, in the basement of the Indica Bookshop co-owned by John Dunbar, Peter Asher and Barry Miles...
in St. James's
St. James's
St James's is an area of central London in the City of Westminster. It is bounded to the north by Piccadilly, to the west by Green Park, to the south by The Mall and St. James's Park and to the east by The Haymarket.-History:...
, London.
1966-1971
On 9 November 1966 John Lennon met Yoko at the Indica Gallery, later on she introduced him to Iain. In 1969 John invited Iain to photograph the Abbey Road cover. The Beatles recorded most of their music at the EMI Studios on Abbey Road, St John's WoodSt John's Wood
St John's Wood is a district of north-west London, England, in the City of Westminster, and at the north-west end of Regent's Park. It is approximately 2.5 miles north-west of Charing Cross. Once part of the Great Middlesex Forest, it was later owned by the Knights of St John of Jerusalem...
, London. They decided to name their last album after the road. Later EMI changed the name of the studio to the Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
.
Iain was given a sketch by Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
a couple of days before the shoot showing where and what the picture should look like. Iain added his own sketch in the top corner to confirm the layout. The Volkswagen? Iain said "The car just happened to be standing there. It had been left there by someone on holiday. Nobody with any connection to The Beatles. A policeman tried to move it away for us, but he couldn't". On 8 August 1969, around 11:30am, Iain climbed up a stepladder about 10 feet in the air in the middle of Abbey Road and took six pictures of the Beatles crossing the street. A policeman was hired to control traffic. The Beatles usually came to the studio around 2-3pm so the earlier hour was chosen to avoid fans.
First Photo. John leads the group from left to right followed by Ringo
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
, Paul and George
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
. They kept this order throughout all the photos. There is a Mercedes pulling out of the studio behind them. John is looking away from the camera and Paul and George are in mid step. Paul is wearing sandals
Second Photo. They walk back in the same order. Good spacing but only John has a full step.
Third Photo. Left to right again, full steps this time but they are all too far left. There is now a traffic backup. There is a taxi, two vans and a double decker bus waiting to come forward. Paul is now barefoot.
Fourth Photo. Walking right to left, once again Paul Ringo and George all in mid step. The traffic has gone through but the bus has stopped to watch. This photo is the cover of Abbey Road by Brian Southall.
Fifth Photo. This photo was used for the cover of the album and is the only photo where we see Paul smoking. The only one with their legs in perfect formation. The three men on the left above Paul's head are Alan Flanagan, Steve Millwood and Derek Seagrove. They were interior decorators returning from a lunch break. On the right side between John and Ringo's head is Paul Cole an American tourist.
Sixth Photo. Ringo slightly too far behind John.
After the shoot Iain went to find a road sign for use on the back cover. It was taken on the corner with Alexandra Road. During photographing the sign a girl in a blue dress walked through the shot. Iain was angry but later it was chosen as the back cover. The wall with the sign was demolished several years later.
Iain worked for John and Yoko till 1971 doing such work as
- The cloud on the album cover for Live Peace in Toronto.
- Photos on the album Some Time in New York CitySome Time in New York CitySome Time in New York City was released in 1972 and is John Lennon's third post-Beatles album, fifth with Yoko Ono, and third with producer Phil Spector...
. - The wedding cake in the Wedding AlbumWedding Album-CD bonus tracks:#"Who Has Seen the Wind?" - 2:05 #*A gentle and melodic folk song featuring lyrics based on the 19th century poem of the same title, written by English poet Christina Rossetti...
. - Yoko's book Flies.
- The cover photo on Yoko's book GrapefruitGrapefruit (book)Grapefruit is an artist's book written by Yoko Ono, originally published in 1964. It has become famous as an early example of conceptual art, containing a series of "event scores" that replace the physical work of art – the traditional stock-in-trade of artists – with instructions that an...
. - The merging heads label of John and Yoko's vinyl single "Happy Xmas (War is Over)Happy Xmas (War Is Over)"Happy Xmas " is a song written by John Lennon and Yoko Ono and released in 1971 as a single by John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir....
". - The merging heads label of John and Yoko's album "Some Time In New York CitySome Time in New York CitySome Time in New York City was released in 1972 and is John Lennon's third post-Beatles album, fifth with Yoko Ono, and third with producer Phil Spector...
". - Kenny Rogers And The First Edition - cover photograph of Something's BurningSomething's BurningSomething's Burning is the fifth album by Kenny Rogers & The First Edition, released in 1970.-Singles:Only one single was issued from the album, the title song "Something's Burning" with "Momma's Waiting" on the flip side...
, 1970.
After 1971
In the 1970s Iain taught photography part-time at college in Stoke-on-TrentStoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
. In 1980 Iain took the cover photo for the album "Hinge and Bracket
Hinge and Bracket
Dr. Evadne Hinge and Dame Hilda Bracket were the stage personae of the musical performance and female impersonation artists George Logan and Patrick Fyffe...
at Abbey Road" which was a parody of the Beatles photo. In the 1980s his work was on exhibit in the US, Britain and Europe. The BBC used some of his photos in the series "The Rock and Roll Years". After the death of his mother Iain moved back to Carnoustie
Carnoustie
Carnoustie is a town and former police burgh in the council area of Angus, Scotland. It is situated at the mouth of the Barry Burn on the North Sea coast...
, Scotland. On 22 July 1993 Iain photographed Paul McCartney at Abbey Road on the zebra crossing, this time with only an Old English Sheepdog
Old English Sheepdog
The Old English Sheepdog is a large breed of dog which was developed in England from early herding types of dog. The Old English Sheepdog has very long fur covering the face and eyes...
. The shot was used on the cover of Paul is Live
Paul Is Live
Paul Is Live is a live album by Paul McCartney, released in 1993 during his New World Tour in support of the album Off the Ground. Its cover is often used as a counter-argument to the Paul is dead conspiracy theory.-Title and cover:...
album.
On 8 May 2006 at the age of 67, Iain died of lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
.
Books by or with
The Sculpture of David Wynne, 1949-1967 by T.S.R. Boase (Author), Iain Macmillan (Photographer)The Book of London by Iain Stewart Macmillan
The Young Meteors: an Inside Report on the Rising Stars of London in Fashion, Entertainment, Modeling, Art, Politics, Journalism by Johnathan Aitken (Author), Iain Macmillan (Illustrator)
Civil Aviation Iain Macmillan & Dudley Foy
The Death of the English Pub. Christopher Hutt
Internet sources
- The Guardian Eyewitness 1989
- Allexperts.com 2004
- Times Online Obituary 2006
- The Guardian 2006
- The Independent 2006
- Photo outtakes
- Paul Cole
- Sketch
- Photo Six in the series of Abbey Road cover shots
Sources
- Grapefruit: A Book of Instructions and Drawings by Yoko Ono
- The Beatles: The Biography by Bob Spitz
- Abbey Road by Brian Southall
- The Ultimate Beatles Encyclopedia by Bill Harry
- The Beatles Off the Record by Keith Badman
- The Beatles After the Breakup 1970-2000 by Keith Badman