Abbey Road cover
Photographer: Iain Macmillan
Date: August 8, 1969
Location: Abbey Road, London, UK
Iain Macmillan photographed The Beatles — Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, and John Lennon — crossing the zebra crossing outside Abbey Road Studios in St John's Wood, London, on August 8, 1969. Macmillan was given only ten minutes to take the photograph, and stood on a stepladder in the middle of the road while a policeman held back traffic. Six frames were shot; Paul McCartney selected the fifth for the album cover of Abbey Road, released September 26, 1969. The cover gave rise to the famous 'Paul is dead' conspiracy theory, as McCartney appears barefoot. The zebra crossing has since become a tourist pilgrimage site and was granted Grade II listed status by English Heritage in 2010. The crossing still bears its distinctive black-and-white stripes and is monitored by live webcam.
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