Taos exhibit shines light on rare Beatles photos

[August 02, 2013]  TAOS, N.M. (AP) -- Thousands of screaming teenagers packed the Washington Coliseum in the nation's capital in 1964 for the Beatle's first live concert on American soil.

Photographer Mike Mitchell remembers the crowd was deafening and the energy was explosive. Without a flash, he used his unrestricted access to document that historic night using only the arena's dim light.

With modern technology and hundreds of hours in front of the computer, Mitchell was able to peel back decades of grunge and transform the negatives into a rare, artful look at one of pop culture's defining moments.

Mitchell's portraits are the centerpiece of a monthlong exhibition at the David Anthony Fine Art gallery in Taos -- the first time they have been shown since their 2011 unveiling at a Christie's auction in New York.

[Associated Press; By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN]

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