Pete Best was the original drummer for the Beatles. He was dismissed from the band on August 16, 1962. He was told it was because he wasn’t a good enough drummer. Whether or not that is true is a matter of much speculation and debate.

We know that Best was replaced by Ringo Starr, and the rest as they say is history. Although it’s hard to imagine the Fab Four with anyone not named Paul, John, George, or Ringo, memorabilia from the brief two year period before Starr joined the band generates a lot of interest from collectors.

One of the first photographs ever taken of The Beatles (without Ringo Starr) will be sold at auction. The extremely rare picture of the band playing at Liverpool’s Cavern Club was taken in 1961. It is just one of 330 lots to be auctioned off at The Annual Liverpool Beatles Auction at Paul McCartney Auditorium at Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts on Saturday, August 23.

The Ringo-less photo is part of a series of pictures of the band from the very beginning of their career. The snapshot features Paul sitting down at the front of the stage, John playing guitar on the right, George sitting down on an amp playing guitar on the left, and Pete Best playing the drums in the background.

Stephen Bailey, who is the manager of The Beatles Shop in Liverpool, said a man named Mathew Street brought in the photograph along with a series of negatives. He stated, “My father was a professional photographer and these might be of interest to you.”

All of the negatives were in perfect condition, including another picture of John, George, Paul, and Pete posing with six young girls. Bailey discovered that this particular picture was taken on June 14, 1961, at St. John’s Hall, Tuebrook, Liverpool. Bailey went a step further and was able to track down two of the girls from the photograph.

The rare photographs are already generating a lot of buzz. “I am very excited about the auction. It just gets bigger and better every year,” said Bailey. He expects the photographs to bring in around 1,500 pounds (about $2,000 US.)

Image via Wikimedia Commons