Rare letters written by Beatles go on display

An exhibition has opened featuring rare photos of The Beatles in Hamburg as well as letters penned by the band during their seminal two year stint in the German port.

Both Sir Paul and John are photographed by Sir Paul's brother, Mike, playing their iconic Höfner 500/1 violin bass and Rickenbacker 325 Capri guitars, both of which were bought at the Steinway shop in Hamburg.

Encompassing 48 panels, across six pillars, the free exhibition is on public display in Hamburg's City Hall – the Rathaus Rathausdiele – until 25 May.

Beatles experts said the gruelling two years the band spent playing the port's clubs transformed their stagecraft from promising amateurs to a tight professional outfit.

Letters donated by The Cavern, Mike McCartney and the Liverpool Beatles Museum reveal the thoughts of John, Paul and George at this time.

The letters chart their rise from a fledgling skiffle group to a rock'n'roll outfit that famously performed up to eight hours a night in numerous venues along the Reeperbahn in Hamburg's red-light district.

They are also accompanied by rare photographs of the band from that era including their first night in Hamburg in August 1960.

It also features letters from Stuart Sutcliffe, who left the band, and original drummer Pete Best, who was hired specifically for their first visit to Hamburg which was organised by their first manager Alan Williams.

The letters from Best and Sutcliffe are hugely poignant, for differing reasons.

Sutcliffe's letter is written several months after he left the band to pursue an arts course in Hamburg.

In a letter to Mike McCartney, sent in February 1962, he talks of feeling unwell but ends on a positive note about his plans to make a surprise return to Liverpool to visit his sister and family.

But the visit never materialised as the 21-year-old died just seven weeks later of a brain haemorrhage.

Best's letter to his mum, in April 1962, is sent just days after Sutcliffe's death but without the band knowing.

A key feature is an in-depth look at how Hamburg massively shaped The Beatles sound and look from 1960 to 1962, which ultimately laid the foundations for their global superstardom.

In that time, the band would notch up more than 250 nights of gigging and nearly 1,200 hours on stage in venues such as the Indra Club, Kaiserkeller, the Star Club and the Top Ten Club.

Some pivotal moments for the band are captured in detail, such as George Harrison's letter to Cavern DJ, Bob Wooler in June 1961, where he explains how the band were signed up for their first record contract.

Harbour Cities-Global Stages has been created to celebrate Liverpool City Region's role as the official partner of Hamburg's annual port festival – Hafengebustag.

The exhibition also looks at the links Liverpool and Hamburg forged by the transfer of Liverpool and England star Kevin Keegan to Hamburger SV in 1977.

Liverpool City Region Combined Authority is looking at options to host the exhibition in the region this summer.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.