Astrid Kirchherr facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Astrid Kirchherr
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Kirchherr in 2012
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| Born | 20 May 1938 |
| Died | 12 May 2020 (aged 81) Hamburg, Germany
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| Occupation | Photographer, artist |
| Years active | 1959−2020 |
| Spouse(s) | Engaged to Stuart Sutcliffe, and twice divorced |
Astrid Kirchherr (born 20 May 1938 – died 12 May 2020) was a talented German photographer and artist. She became famous for her connection with The Beatles. Astrid took many photos of the band's first members. These included John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe, and Pete Best. She photographed them during their early days in Hamburg, Germany.
Astrid met artist Stuart Sutcliffe in Hamburg in 1960. Stuart was playing bass with The Beatles at the time. They later got engaged, but Stuart sadly passed away in 1962. Even though Astrid took fewer photos after 1967, her early work was shown in many cities. These included London, Liverpool, New York City, and Tokyo. Her photos were also displayed at the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. She also published three special books of her photographs.
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Astrid's Early Life
Astrid Kirchherr was born in Hamburg, Germany, in 1938. Her father was an important manager for the German branch of the Ford Motor Company. During World War II, Astrid was sent away for safety near the Baltic Sea. When she returned to Hamburg, she saw the terrible damage from the war.
After finishing school, Astrid wanted to study fashion design. She joined the Meisterschule für Mode, Textil, Grafik und Werbung in Hamburg. But she soon showed a great skill for black-and-white photography. Her photography teacher, Reinhard Wolf, convinced her to change her studies. He even promised to hire her as his helper after she graduated. Astrid worked for Wolf from 1959 to 1963.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Astrid and her friends were part of a movement called existentialism. Its followers were sometimes called "Exis." Astrid explained that they wore black clothes and looked thoughtful. They were inspired by French artists and writers. She said, "We wanted to be free, we wanted to be different." They tried to be "cool," as people say today.
Astrid Meets The Beatles
Astrid, Klaus Voormann, and Jürgen Vollmer were close friends. They all went to the same art school. They shared similar ideas about fashion, culture, and music. Klaus became Astrid's boyfriend and moved into her home.
In 1960, Klaus went to the Reeperbahn area in Hamburg. He heard music from a club called the Kaiserkeller. Inside, he saw a band called The Beatles playing. The band included John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe, and their drummer, Pete Best. Klaus told Astrid and Jürgen about this new music.
After some convincing, Astrid visited the Kaiserkeller. She immediately loved The Beatles. She said, "My whole life changed in a couple of minutes." The three friends had never heard rock n' roll before. They used to listen to trad jazz and artists like Nat King Cole. After that, they went to the Kaiserkeller almost every night. They would arrive at 9 o'clock and sit right in front of the stage.
Astrid later shared that she and her friends felt bad about Germany's past. Meeting The Beatles was very special. The Beatles would sometimes joke about Germans, but they all became good friends.
Stuart Sutcliffe was especially interested in Astrid. He thought she and her friends looked like "real bohemians." Many people noticed Astrid when she walked into a room. Stuart wrote to a friend that he couldn't stop looking at her. He later managed to meet Astrid and her friends. He found out they all went to art school, just like he and John Lennon did in Liverpool.
Taking Photos of The Beatles
Astrid asked The Beatles if she could take their pictures. They were impressed because other bands only had simple snapshots. The next morning, Astrid took photos with her Rolleicord camera. They went to a fairground called Hamburger Dom near the Reeperbahn. In the afternoon, she took them to her mother's house. Pete Best did not join them.
Astrid's bedroom was decorated in black with silver foil walls. It even had a large tree branch hanging from the ceiling. This room was special for Klaus, her boyfriend at the time. After meeting The Beatles, Astrid and Klaus's relationship became just friendly. Astrid then started dating Stuart Sutcliffe. But she always remained a close friend to Klaus.
Astrid's mother helped The Beatles get medicine that kept them awake. This helped them play music until the early morning. John Lennon often wrote to his girlfriend, Cynthia Powell, about Astrid. Cynthia felt a bit jealous until she learned Astrid was with Stuart. In 1961, Cynthia visited Hamburg with Paul McCartney's girlfriend, Dot Rhone. They stayed at Astrid's house.
In 1963, Astrid met John and Cynthia again in Paris. They were there for a holiday. The four of them had a fun time together.
The Beatles met Astrid again in Hamburg in 1966 during their German tour. Astrid gave John the letters he had written to Stuart years earlier. John said it was "the best present I've had in years." All The Beatles wrote many letters to Astrid. George Harrison later asked Astrid to help with the cover of his album Wonderwall Music in 1968.
The Beatles' Hair and Clothes
Many people say Astrid invented The Beatles' famous moptop haircut. But Astrid disagreed. She said, "All that rubbish people said, that I created their hairstyle, that's rubbish!" She explained that many German boys already had that hairstyle. Stuart Sutcliffe had it for a long time, and the others copied him.
Astrid said that her art school friends had this haircut. Her boyfriend, Klaus Voormann, also had it. Stuart really liked it. He was the first Beatle brave enough to change his hair. He asked Astrid to cut his hair for him. Pete Best had very curly hair, so the style didn't work for him. Astrid said that after she cut Stuart's hair, George Harrison asked her to do the same. John Lennon and Paul McCartney got their hair cut in the same style in Paris. Astrid's friend, Jürgen Vollmer, who lived there, cut their hair.
After moving into Astrid's family home, Stuart often borrowed her clothes. He was the same height as Astrid. He wore her leather pants, jackets, and long scarves. He also borrowed a special corduroy suit without lapels. He wore it on stage, which made John Lennon joke about it.
Stuart Sutcliffe's Story
Stuart Sutcliffe wrote to his friends that he was completely in love with Astrid. He asked her friends about her favorite things. Pete Best said their relationship started "like one of those fairy stories." Astrid said she fell in love with Stuart right away. She called him "the love of my life."
Astrid and Stuart got engaged in November 1960. They exchanged rings, which is a German tradition. Stuart told his parents he was engaged. They were surprised because they thought he would stop being an artist. But Stuart told Astrid he wanted to be an art teacher in the future.
In the summer of 1961, Astrid and Stuart went to Liverpool. Astrid wanted to meet Stuart's family before they got married. Everyone expected a strange artist from Hamburg. But Astrid arrived at the Sutcliffes' house with a beautiful orchid. She was dressed in a nice sweater and skirt.
In February 1962, Stuart collapsed during an art class in Hamburg. He had very bad headaches. Astrid's mother had German doctors check him, but they couldn't find the cause. While living at Astrid's house, Stuart's health got worse. On 10 April 1962, Astrid's mother called her at work. She said Stuart had collapsed again, and an ambulance was called. Astrid rushed home and rode with Stuart in the ambulance. Sadly, he died in her arms before they reached the hospital.
Three days later, Astrid met John, Paul, and Pete at the Hamburg airport. They were returning to perform. Astrid told them Stuart had died from a brain bleed. George Harrison and manager Brian Epstein arrived later with Stuart's mother. John Lennon helped Astrid a lot during this sad time. He told her she had to choose to "live or die."
Astrid's Photography Career
In 1964, Astrid became a freelance photographer. With her friend Max Scheler, she took "behind the scenes" photos of The Beatles. This was during the filming of A Hard Day's Night. It was a job for the German Stern magazine. The Beatles' manager, Brian Epstein, usually didn't allow photos without his permission. But Astrid called George Harrison, who helped arrange it.
Stern magazine asked Bill Harry, who ran the Mersey Beat newspaper, to help. They wanted a photo of all the music groups in Liverpool. Harry suggested Astrid be the photographer. Astrid and Max Scheler offered to pay any group that wanted their picture taken in front of St. George's Hall. Over 200 groups showed up that day! Astrid and Max quickly ran out of money.
Astrid didn't publish these photos until 1995. They were in a book called Liverpool Days. It was a special collection of black-and-white photos. In 1999, another book, Hamburg Days, was released. It had Astrid's photos and drawings by Klaus Voormann. Klaus's drawings showed places and moments Astrid hadn't photographed or had lost.
Astrid explained how hard it was to be a female photographer in the 1960s. She said, "Every magazine... wanted me to photograph the Beatles again." They didn't want to see her other work. She found it very difficult to be accepted. In the end, she almost stopped taking photos after 1967.
Astrid said that When We Was Fab (published in 2007) would be her last photo book. She wanted to create one book where she was fully involved. It would contain her favorite pictures, printed exactly how she liked them. She said, "This book is me and that is why it will be the last one."
Astrid respected other photographers like Annie Leibovitz and Irving Penn. She also liked French filmmakers. Astrid said her favorite photos were of Stuart by the Baltic Sea. She also loved the pictures she took of John Lennon and George Harrison in her attic room. She was careful about digital photography. She believed a photographer should focus on the art, not just the technical side.
Astrid admitted she wasn't good at business. She didn't always keep track of her photo negatives to prove she owned them. Her business partner, Ulf Krüger, helped find many of Astrid's negatives. He made sure they were copyrighted. He believed Astrid lost a lot of money because people used her photos without permission.
In 2001, Astrid visited Liverpool. She opened an exhibition of her work at the Mathew Street art gallery. This gallery is near where The Cavern Club used to be. She also attended the city's Beatles Week Festival. Astrid's work has been shown all over the world.
Astrid's Later Life
In 1967, Astrid married English drummer Gibson Kemp. He had replaced Ringo Starr in a band called Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. Their marriage ended after seven years. Astrid then worked as a barmaid and an interior designer. She also worked for a music publishing company. She married a German businessman a second time.
In 1994, Astrid worked as an advisor for the film Backbeat. This movie showed Astrid, Stuart, and The Beatles in their early Hamburg days. She was very impressed with Stephen Dorff, who played Stuart in the film. She said he was the right age and acted so much like Stuart. Astrid was played by Sheryl Lee in the movie.
From the mid-1990s, Astrid and her business partner, Ulf Krüger, ran a photography shop in Hamburg. It was called K&K. They sold special vintage prints, books, and artwork. K&K also helped organize Beatles events in Hamburg. Astrid did not have any children. She lived alone and said she was very happy.
Astrid Kirchherr passed away on 12 May 2020 in Hamburg. She died after a short illness, just a week before her 82nd birthday. Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn announced her death. He said her help with the band was "immeasurable." He called her an "intelligent, inspirational, innovative, daring, artistic, awake, aware, beautiful, smart, loving and uplifting friend to many."
See also
In Spanish: Astrid Kirchherr para niños
- List of German women artists
Images for kids
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Astrid Kirchherr in 2012
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A Rolleicord camera (1955), which Astrid used
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St. George's Hall, Liverpool. Astrid took photos of Liverpool groups on these steps.
