© Mike Mitchell

Unpublished and almost unknown, Christie’s is auctioning the then-eighteen-years-old Mike Mitchell’s select work from the British band’s first visits to the U.S. in 1964:

I had heard their music and just knew I had to be at that concert. I asked one of the magazines I worked for if they would get me a press pass but I was really “shooting for myself.” The pictures were taken by an 18 year old kid who had led a very sheltered life and had just come to realize photography could take him anywhere. I wasn’t approaching it as documenting an event ; I saw it as an opportunity to do great portraits.

57 years later, his sheer will turned fifty of his select prints at Christie’s with a starting bid of $100,000.

Update The entire catalogue was sold for a total of $361,983 ($68,500 for the photo above), and TOP has a great scoop on the story.