Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level C , Case TS, Shelf 38

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Record Sleeve
1967 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, released by EMI Records in 1967, is arguably the most famous album sleeve of all time. The image on the album cover is composed of a collage of celebrities. There are 88 figures, including the band members themselves. Pop artist Peter Blake and his wife Jann Haworth conceived and constructed the set, including all the life-sized cut-outs of historical figures. The set was photographed, with the Beatles standing in the centre, by Michael Cooper. Copyright was a problem as Brian Epstein, the Beatles' manager, had to locate each person in order to get permission to use their image in this context.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleSgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Colour offset lithograph on paper and card
Brief description
Gatefold cover sleeve for the long-playing record 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' recorded by The Beatles. Cover design by M C Productions and The Apple, staged by Peter Blake and Jann Haworth. Published by EMI Records, The Gramophone Co. Ltd. / Parlophone, Great Britain. 1988 reprint of the original 1967 design.
Physical description
Gatefold cover sleeve for the long-playing record 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' recorded by The Beatles for EMI Records, The Gramophone Co. Ltd. / Parlophone.
The image on the album sleeve is composed of a collage of celebrities and the band members of the Beatles: Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Paul McCartney and John Lennon.
Dimensions
  • Height: 31.4cm
  • Width: 31.4cm
Marks and inscriptions
Lettered with title, credits, lyrics etc. and 'Cover by M C Productions and The Apple / Staged by Peter Blake and Jann Haworth Photographed by Michael Cooper Wax figures by Madame Tussauds'.
Credit line
Given by Kevin Edge
Object history
This version of the sleeve can be distinguished from the 1967 version by the presence of a barcode, and the absence of two glued-down flaps along the inside of the gatefold and of the original printers' name 'Garrod and Lofthouse Ltd.'.
Production
This is a 1988 reprint of the original 1967 design.
For an original 1967 version of this sleeve see E.577-1985.
Subjects depicted
Summary
The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, released by EMI Records in 1967, is arguably the most famous album sleeve of all time. The image on the album cover is composed of a collage of celebrities. There are 88 figures, including the band members themselves. Pop artist Peter Blake and his wife Jann Haworth conceived and constructed the set, including all the life-sized cut-outs of historical figures. The set was photographed, with the Beatles standing in the centre, by Michael Cooper. Copyright was a problem as Brian Epstein, the Beatles' manager, had to locate each person in order to get permission to use their image in this context.
Associated objects
Bibliographic references
  • Edge, Kevin. The Art of Selling Songs: Graphics for the Music Business 1690-1990. London. 1991. p.125.
  • Oak, Arlene. Shake it up Baby! Graphics recording change: Beatles album covers 1963-70. RCA/V&A MA thesis, 1992. p.49-57.
  • Errigo, Angie. and Steve Leaning. The Illustrated History of Rock Album Art. London. 1979, p.74 (illus)
  • Leigh, Spencer. Sgt Pepper - The Cover. Record Collector. Issue No 94, June 1987.
  • Harry, Bill. The Ultimate Beatles Encyclopedia. Virgin Books. 1992. pp.585-590.
Collection
Accession number
E.1803-1990

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Record createdJanuary 6, 2004
Record URL
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