Renowned British artist Peter Blake has re-created the cover of ‘Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band’.
It’s one of the defining images of the 60s. Recruited by The Beatles to design the cover of their new album, British artist Peter Blake responded with a tapestry of faces which placed the band in a historical context.
Amongst the characters on the cover of ‘Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band’ are Karl Marx, Winston Churchill, Alastair Crowley and Diana Dors. An instantly recognisable image, the art work remains hugely influential.
Now Peter Blake has become involved in a project to re-create the cover. The artist is a former resident of Bath, and actually retains a studio on Southern side of the city.
The nearby Holborn museum is set to build an extension, and requires £300,000 of public donations. As a result, Peter Blake stepped in with a real life recreation of the famous ‘Sgt Peppers’ cover.
Posing as one of The Beatles, The Fab Four were completed by the museum director, Alexander Sturgis, architect Eric Parry and project manager Brian Peckham.
Attracting volunteers, the resulting shot used various portraits from the museum’s archives. Peter Blake chose a series of images, drawing on the museum’s stock of notable Bath characters as well as more modern designs.
Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis is shown in the picture, while the crowd of volunteers includes everyone from rugby players to homeless people.
Peter Blake is set to be profiled by the Bath gallery with an extensive exhibition drawing on his work when the museum re-launches, making him the perfect choice to assist in the fund raising effort.
“We are proud of our historic collection but we also want to do surprising things. And if we can be half as warm, welcoming and friendly as Sir Peter is we will be doing well” said Alexander Sturgis.
