The Beatles landed at Schiphol on June 5, 1964, during their world tour, and the next day they played two shows in the village of Blokker. Ringo Starr was ill, so Jimmie Nicol sat in on drums for this part of the tour. Seven of these eight photos come from the Anefo press agency archive at the Dutch National Archives, one comes from a Noord-Hollands Archief collection, and all are marked CC0 on Wikimedia Commons.
A Beatles beach towel, May 1964
On May 20, 1964, more than two weeks before the band reached the Netherlands, Harry Pot photographed a beach-fashion item for Anefo: a bath towel printed with the Beatles’ heads, worn here like a cape. The merchandise had arrived before the musicians did.
Volendam caps at Schiphol
The Beatles flew in from Copenhagen on June 5, 1964, and were handed flowers and traditional hats at Schiphol. The record notes that they put the Volendam caps on. The one in front has a bouquet in one hand and a fist in the air, and the girls in costume beside him are laughing along.
A press conference with bouquets
The record places this press conference at Schiphol, just after the band’s arrival. Wrapped bouquets are piled between the microphones, and four girls in Volendam costume sit in a neat row behind the group. The man at the far left is the only one grinning straight at the camera.
A hand-lettered banner at the airport rail
The record calls this the public at Schiphol with a banner, and the banner makes its case with one word and an exclamation mark. Along the railing are boys in jackets, a man with a camera raised and a woman in a headscarf and sunglasses, so the crowd was not only teenagers.
A television stage at Treslong
On June 5, 1964, the band recorded a television show for the VARA at Treslong, a café-restaurant in Hillegom. The record names, from left to right, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and John Lennon, with Jimmie Nicol behind the drums in place of Ringo Starr. The zigzag floor looks like a set designer’s idea of the future.
Police and a horse in Amsterdam
The record says police in Amsterdam had trouble keeping the crowd in check on June 5, 1964, when the band was staying at the Doelen Hotel. Officers lean into a steel barrier while a police horse stands at the right edge. The horse looks like the calmest figure in the picture.
The stage at Blokker
The next day the band played two shows in an auction hall in Blokker, a village north of Amsterdam. Seen from above, three guitarists bow in a line at the front of the stage while the drummer stands at his kit. Banners for Heineken, Honda and Coca-Cola hang around them, and paper scraps cover the floor.
Fans in the rafters
The Noord-Hollands Archief describes this photo as fans climbing into the roof construction at Blokker to see their idols better. Two figures balance on the steel beams against the dark corrugated roof, one in a white shirt. Nobody on the hall floor had a view as good as theirs, or as risky.
