Abbey Road Studios entrance

On the morning of Friday, the 8th of August, 1969, all four Beatles gathered at EMI Studios, a.k.a. Abbey Road Studios, for the photo shoot for their next album cover.  

While a policeman held up the traffic, photographer Iain Macmillan stood on a stepladder positioned in the middle of the road. He took six shots as the group walked across the zebra crossing just outside the studio.

It was a hot day in London, and for four of the photographs, Paul McCartney walked barefoot; for the other two he wore sandals.

One of the photos was chosen for the cover of their final recording together, Abbey Road, and it has become one of the most iconic and imitated album covers in history. 

Preparing for the photo

To the left of the picture, parked next to the zebra crossing, is a white Volkswagen Beetle motor-car which belonged to one of the people living in the block of flats across from the recording studio. After the album was released, the number plate (LMW 281F) on the Volkswagen Beetle was stolen repeatedly from the car. In 1986, the car was sold at auction for $4,000, and in 2001 was on display in a museum in Germany.

Tourists recreating the moment

Meanwhile, the actual crossing has become a tourist attraction rivalling Big Ben or Buckingham Palace.  In December 2010, the crossing was given grade II listed status for its "cultural and historical importance."

Abbey Road - The End: