40 Years Ago

While Rolling Stone magazine initially gave the Beetle's Abbey Road album a mixed reception, nobody can deny the photograph taken by Scottish photographer Iain Macmillan at 11:30am on 8 August, 40 years ago, of the four Beatles walking across a pedestrian crossing in London has become one of their most successful albums and one of the most iconic photos of the group.

"There's a sketch Paul McCartney did with four little stick men crossing the Zebra," says Brian Southall, author of the history of Abbey Road Studios. At half past eleven the Fab Four walked out of No 3 Abbey Road, having finished basic work on what would be - and they subsequently said they knew would be - their last album.

Macmillan was given about 15 minutes, stood on a stepladder while a policeman held up the traffic, the band walked back and forth a few times and that was that.

He took seven or eight pictures, fascinating for their difference (Paul is wearing sandals!) to the end product we all know.