The Beatles Backstage at the Cavern - John Looking, Liverpool, 1963

John Lennon stares intently at the lens while the Beatles prepare at the Cavern Club for a performance nearby. 

Beatles guitar aficionados will appreciate that this photograph includes John's black Rickenbacker, Paul's legendary Hofner bass, and George's Gretsch Country Gentleman, all together in one shot! 

Taken in late 1963, this extraordinary image is the earliest color photograph we've seen of the group, certainly inside the legendary Cavern Club.  

In April 2012, Newsweek Magazine created a special issue dedicated entirely to the band in order to commemorate the 50 years since the Beatles were founded.  This photograph was chosen as the frontispiece of the issue, with the large headline: "The Beginning".