A MORETON man will see his work celebrated as he hosts his own exhibition displaying original advertising posters The Beatles.

At 83-years-old Tony Booth has never showcased his artwork, but in the days before social media the posters he created were the main way of telling fans of the bands upcoming shows.

Tony said: “I must have produced many hundreds of hand painted posters for Beatle gigs and shows by other popular groups.

“I was only paid five shillings for each one, but it was non-stop work. I got to know Brian Epstein and The Beatles very well.

“It was great to be part of what was happening in Liverpool when Merseybeat was born, though we never knew how big it would become.

“It was a fascinating time to be around in 1960’s Liverpool with so much going on, and everywhere you looked there were my posters advertising the gigs.”

Wirral Globe:

The orignal artwork will go on display during International Beatles Week which takes place later this month.

He is regarded by many as helping put The Beatles on the map and played a key role in Liverpool’s pop history.

One Cavern Club poster, which Tony produced for a fee of “five bob” (25p) sold recently to an American collector in a London Auction House for £27,500.

The exhibition will be held at View Two Gallery, just yards from the iconic Cavern Club, and takes place during International Beatles Week.

“I never imagined in a million years they would one day be so valuable. I wished I’d kept some myself, but they were simply thrown in the waste paper basket,” Tony added.

He became involved with The Beatles after producing many hand-painted “sales” posters for the furniture business and record shop run by the family of Brian Epstein, the man who would become manager of The Beatles.

When Epstein’s interests turned to newly discovered stars like The Beatles and Cilla Black, Tony was paid to produce posters for gigs and concerts across the region.

Tony now spends every day at his Wirral studio producing replica posters for fans and collectors across the world.

Recently he was commissioned by ITV to re-create the original posters that were always plastered all over the outside walls of The Cavern Club during the filming of their three-part drama Cilla.

The exhibition will be open every day from August 24-30 between 12-5pm.

It will then only be open on Friday and Saturday’s 12-5pm, unless an appointment is made.