Sculptor Andy Edwards infused each Beatle with subtle details
The Beatles statues at the Pier Head.(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
Every day, hundreds – if not thousands – of tourists stop to take a picture with The Beatles statues on Liverpool’s Pier Head. However, there’s more to the sculptures than initially meets the eye. Hidden symbolic details on the figures of John, Paul, George and Ringo are missed by most, but offer a unique insight into each of their lives.
Mike Keating, author of ‘Secret Liverpool – an unusual guide,’ describes the bronze figures as “hard to miss” but says tourists’ “two-dimensional selfies” often overlook their deeper layers. While clearly a tribute to the Fab Four, sculptor Andy Edwards infused each Beatle with subtle, personal details – small clues to their individual histories and legacies.
The statues were inspired by an early photograph of the “lovable moptops” that once dominated the window of HMV’s Liverpool ONE store.
Commissioned by sculptor Chris Butler, Edwards spent six months working on the piece, keeping a silent loop of A Hard Day’s Night running in his studio to capture the band’s pre-megastardom energy.
An acorn in the hand of John Lennon.(Pic Andrew Teebay).(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
The line-up on the Pier Head reflects the order the band took on stage before they abandoned touring. Each figure is slightly out of step with the others and carries a totemic feature.
John Lennon’s is perhaps the most poignant. In his cupped hand, he holds two acorns, cast from nuts gathered in New York’s Central Park, just a short distance from the Dakota Building where he lived – and where his life was tragically cut short.
The acorns reference John and Yoko Ono’s late 1960s “Acorns for Peace” campaign, in which the couple sent acorns to world leaders as a gesture of unity.
Paul McCartney holding a camera.(Pic Andrew Teebay).(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
Paul McCartney’s nod is more romantic. Slung over his shoulder is a camera case, a quiet tribute to his marriage to photographer Linda Eastman, who captured so many moments of his post-Beatles life.
Ringo Starr’s hidden detail is right under his boot. The sole of his boot carries the inscription “L8” – the postcode for Toxteth, where he was born. It’s a grounding reminder of his roots, even as the band’s fame carried him around the world.
George Harrison’s belt(left),and Paul McCartney with a camera bag(right)(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
George Harrison’s symbolic touch is the most spiritual. Hanging from the back of his coat is a belt etched with Sanskrit verse – a reflection of his deep connection to Indian culture and his embrace of the Hare Krishna movement.
The inscription was inspired by an unusual moment in Edwards’ studio: three local gong players arrived mid-project, one bringing a huge gong from George’s old school. They performed a rendition of the Gayatri Mantra. The next day, Edwards inscribed the prayer onto George’s belt.