Tile
ca. 1964 (made), ca. 1964 (printed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This tile was one of hundreds of products produced in the early 1960s illustrated with images of The Beatles. The Liverpool band started at the end of the 1950s with John Lennon, who was in a band called The Quarrymen. He was joined by Paul McCartney who brought his school friend George Harrison into the band. They perfected their sound during lunchtime concerts at Liverpool's Cavern Club, and clubs in Hamburg, and were brought to prominence by the record shop manager Brian Epstein. Epstein recognised their appeal and secured a record deal for them with EMI Parlophone records, after Decca turned them down. EMI's George Martin, a classical musician and composer, helped them develop their talents further and they went on to become the most successful recording artists in musical history.
The earliest examples of Beatles' merchandising were produced in the United States, after Brian Epstein sold a company called Seltaeb the rights to license it. After a flood of successful Beatles items from stockings to talcum powder, Epstein realised the lucrative potential of the market and kept firm control of the licensing. This tile is one of a set of five produced in England, one representing each individual band member and one showing the group.
The earliest examples of Beatles' merchandising were produced in the United States, after Brian Epstein sold a company called Seltaeb the rights to license it. After a flood of successful Beatles items from stockings to talcum powder, Epstein realised the lucrative potential of the market and kept firm control of the licensing. This tile is one of a set of five produced in England, one representing each individual band member and one showing the group.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Glazed earthenware |
| Brief description | Glazed earthenware tile decorated by Dorincourt Potters with an image of The Beatles in performance, English, ca. 1964 |
| Physical description | Rectangular earthenware tile, glazed recto and printed with an under-glaze transfer print of The Beatles - from left to right playing their guitars George, Paul and John, and sitting at the Vox drum kit, Ringo. With their autographs around the image, 'THE BEATLES' along the lower edge and the artist's monogram 'IW' bottom right. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Object history | Historical significance: These tiles would have been issued circa 1964, at the height of the craze for The Beatles. |
| Production | The tiles were made by Carter Tiles and decorated by Dorincourt Potters. Dorincourt Industries was a charity working with disabled people and had a range of services, much of it with a graphic arts association. In about 1999 a new company was formed, Dorincourt Lion Litho, with 15% of all future profits going to the Queen Elizabeth Foundation for the disabled. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Associations | |
| Summary | This tile was one of hundreds of products produced in the early 1960s illustrated with images of The Beatles. The Liverpool band started at the end of the 1950s with John Lennon, who was in a band called The Quarrymen. He was joined by Paul McCartney who brought his school friend George Harrison into the band. They perfected their sound during lunchtime concerts at Liverpool's Cavern Club, and clubs in Hamburg, and were brought to prominence by the record shop manager Brian Epstein. Epstein recognised their appeal and secured a record deal for them with EMI Parlophone records, after Decca turned them down. EMI's George Martin, a classical musician and composer, helped them develop their talents further and they went on to become the most successful recording artists in musical history. The earliest examples of Beatles' merchandising were produced in the United States, after Brian Epstein sold a company called Seltaeb the rights to license it. After a flood of successful Beatles items from stockings to talcum powder, Epstein realised the lucrative potential of the market and kept firm control of the licensing. This tile is one of a set of five produced in England, one representing each individual band member and one showing the group. |
| Associated objects | |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.53-2005 |
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| Record created | April 14, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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