Mystery Man on Abbey Road Cover

He Saw Them Standing There

Who is the mysterious figure on the Abbey Road Album Cover?

In 1969 Paul Cole from BarefootBay in Florida was in London with his wife on a sightseeing trip. After a long day, when Mrs Cole suggested visiting another museum Paul told her:

“I’ve seen enough museums, You go on in, take your time and look around and I’ll just stay out here and see what’s going on.”

There was a black police car parked outside and Paul started a conversation with the driver. As he talked Paul noticed a man on a stepladder in the middle of the road with a camera. That man was Iain Macmillan, the photographer who had been invited by John Lennon to take the photograph for the latest Beatles album, Abbey Road.

Paul then noticed ‘a bunch of kooks’ walking single file ‘like a line of ducks’ across the crossing ‘Well you don’t walk around London in your bare feet’ added Paul, referring to Paul McCartney.

He returned home and forgot about the incident until about a year later when he noticed the Abbey Road album on top of the family record player. He picked it up and was astounded to see himself on the famous cover. He had a job convincing his children, he told them to get a magnifying glass and they would see that it was him.

The idea for the album cover was Paul McCartney’s and the photographer believed that it was the simplicity of the concept which had made it so popular; that coupled with the fact that it is so easily accessible for fans wanting to recreate the famous picture. Six shots were taken of the Beatles walking across the crossing in both directions. In two of the pictures, McCartney was wearing sandals, but it was picture five out of six that was chosen. Lucky for Paul Cole because he wasn’t in all the shots.

Paul Cole died in February 2008 aged 96 but he has been immortalised in the famous photograph which has been reproduced on numerous souvenirs including jigsaws, lighters, throws, stationery, posters, mouse-mats, T shirts and fridge magnets.

You can’t fail to notice the white Volkswagen Beetle in the photograph either. The car belonged to a local resident and couldn’t be moved because the owner was away on holiday.

Rumours were rife in 1969 that Paul McCartney had died in a car crash and had been replaced by a look alike to avoid mass heartbreak. Conspiracy theorists believed that clues were being given to fans through the Beatles’ songs. It was also widely believed by many that the Abbey Road photograph was bursting with clues such as Paul walking barefoot which is how he would have been buried and the Beatles walking single file across the crossing as in a funeral procession.

The number plate on the Beetle was thought to provide a vital clue – 28IF suggesting that Paul would be 28 IF he was alive and the letters, LMW were interpreted as representing Linda McCartney Weeps.

After the release of the album the number plate was repeatedly stolen from the Beetle. In 1986 the car sold to an American collector at auction for approximately £2,500 and is now on display at the Volkswagen museum in Wolfsburg, Germany.

The road signs are another collector’s item which are continually removed and are now only replaced occasionally.

The Abbey Road crossing is described as the most famous zebra crossing in the world. It is a popular tourist attraction and tourists can frequently be seen taking

photographs of themselves replicating the famous picture. A live webcam has been set up at the crossing for people to pay a virtual visit to the location and watch visitors taking photographs. The webcam can be found at: http://www.abbeyroad.com/visit/

EMI studios which are situated to the left of the Volkswagen Beetle were renamed Abbey Road Studios after the phenomenal success of the album. It was the last record recorded by the Beatles and advance sales in the UK totalled 190,000 taking it straight to number one.