The Beatles’ “Abbey Road” album cover, released in 1969, is one of the most iconic images in music history. Featuring the band members walking in a line across a zebra crossing in Northwest London, the album cover became instantly famous. However, a unique aspect of this photograph is the presence of a seemingly unintentional photobomber, a man standing at the side of the road.
The Accidental Photobomber
This man, clad in a brown jacket and white shirt, appears to be looking towards the musicians. Initially, his identity was a mystery, leading to much speculation and numerous people claiming to be the “mystery man.” It was eventually established that the man in the photograph was Paul Cole, an American tourist, who found himself in the backdrop of this historic Beatles moment purely by chance.
Paul Cole’s presence on the Abbey Road cover was not planned. In a 2004 interview with the Daily Mirror, he recounted the events of that day. He was waiting for his wife, who was exploring a museum, and decided to see what was happening outside. Cole, preferring conversation to museum visits, found himself chatting with a policeman on the street.
The Quick Photo Shoot
Iain Macmillan, the photographer, had a brief window to capture the iconic image. The entire shoot took approximately 10 minutes, during which Macmillan took multiple shots of the Beatles crossing Abbey Road in both directions. The band’s cooperation with the traffic and the policeman’s assistance were key to the efficiency of this process.
Among the pictures taken, the one chosen for the album cover was the fifth of six images. This particular shot was selected because it showed the Beatles’ legs in a perfect ‘V’ formation, adding a dynamic element to the composition. The selection of this image was a careful choice, emphasizing the movement and harmony among the band members.
In a 2004 interview with the Daily Mirror, Paul Cole shared the serendipitous circumstances that led to his appearance in one of the most iconic album covers of all time. Cole was waiting for his wife, who was exploring a museum, and decided to step outside.
I’ve seen enough museums. I’ll just stay out here and see what’s going on outside.
This decision to enjoy the street scene rather than more museum exhibits set the stage for his unexpected entry into music history. While waiting, Cole struck up a conversation with a policeman who was sitting in his car nearby. This policeman was crucial to the Beatles’ photo shoot, as he had been hired to manage traffic. This interaction highlights the casual, everyday nature of Cole’s presence at the location – he was simply a tourist engaging in small talk, unaware of the momentous event unfolding around him.
Photographer Iain Macmillan orchestrated the photo shoot for the Abbey Road album cover, which was efficiently completed in about 10 minutes. Macmillan recalled,
I remember we hired a policeman to hold up traffic while I was up on the ladder taking the pictures.
The Beatles crossed the road in both directions, with Macmillan capturing several shots. The chosen photo, the fifth out of six, was selected for the perfect ‘V’ formation of the band members’ legs.
Cole observed the Beatles during the shoot and found their appearance unusual. He said,
I just happened to look up, and I saw those guys walking across the street like a line of ducks. A bunch of kooks, I called them, because they were rather radical-looking at that time. You didn’t walk around in London barefoot.
This candid reaction underscored his unfamiliarity with the Beatles and the cultural context they were a part of.
The realization of his accidental fame came much later for Cole. He discovered his presence on the album cover only six months later, back in America. His wife, an organ player, was asked to play a song from the album at a wedding. Recognizing himself in the photograph, Cole pointed out his image to his children, identifying himself by his new sports jacket and shell-rimmed glasses.
Despite his accidental fame, Cole never engaged with the Beatles’ music. He admitted to never having listened to the Abbey Road album and could not name a single song from it. This lack of connection to the Beatles’ work adds another layer of irony to his presence on the album cover.
Paul Cole passed away in 2008 at the age of 98. Even after his death, there remained some speculation about whether he indeed was the “mystery man” in the Abbey Road photo. However, the story of his accidental photobomb, corroborated by his own accounts and the circumstances of the photo shoot, strongly supports his claim.
