Ybor City pop-up exhibit features rare photos of John Lennon, the Beatles

A pop-up exhibit in Ybor City features rare photographs of the iconic John Lennon and the Beatles. 

"The Lost Weekend: The Photography of May Pang" is at Tempus Projects this weekend only. Pang was Lennon’s assistant for a decade and was his girlfriend for 18 months. The exhibit features around 30 candid photos that she took of the music icon.

"They get a chance to see him through my eyes," Pang said. "These are home photos. I never intended to have them hang on the wall for other people to have. I'm happy that I could share it."

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Tampa is the 53rd stop for the exhibition that started two years ago. Many of the photos have historical significance, including a rare photo of Lennon and his son Julian and one of the last photos taken of Lennon and Paul McCartney. 

"I took one of John, mid signature of him, with the dissolution of the agreement of the Beatles," Pang added. 

In the first photo Pang captured of Lennon, he’s drinking a Dr. Pepper. Pang said Lennon’s favorite photo was taken on a trip to Ellenville, NY. He’s walking dogs down a trail surrounded by fall foliage. 

"He didn't even know I stopped, and I just sort of stepped back. As he walked into frame, I yelled out, and he turned around, and I just snapped," Pang said. "I didn't even know what I had. He loved it so much. He asked me if he could use it for a single that was coming out in England."

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That single was "Imagine," which was released as a single for first time in the United Kingdom at the time. 

Pang was inspired to participate in the exhibition partly because of a documentary she produced and narrated in 2022, "The Lost Weekend: A Love Story." She said watching the film will add context to the photos in the exhibit. 

"It brings me a lot of happiness that I can make other people happy because that's the joy. It's music. It's him. It just brings people together, nothing political," Pang said. "It's all about love and caring, because these guys, these four guys brought the world together." 

The exhibit will be open until 7 p.m. on Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free, and Pang will be there in person. All the photos will be available for purchase. 

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