
George Harrison staring pensively out of a taxi window, Paul McCartney dancing on a hotel bed and John Lennon relaxing in a bar: these are the Beatles as you've never seen them before.

The images are part of a collection taken by drummer Ringo Starr, now 75, which will go on display for the first time at the National Portrait Gallery in London this month.

Many of the photographs in the collection were taken between 1960 and 1970, although some were also snapped during Mr Starr's childhood and during his post-Beatles perambulations abroad.

Candid: John Lennon pictured in a bar in Miami, Florida during the Beatles 1964 tour of the US

Dancing around: Paul McCartney does a jig on a hotel bed in a photo taken in New York in February 1964

Pensive: George Harrison stares out of the window of a New York cab in a photograph taken by Starr in February 1964

The pictures, which the former drummer says he 'took and then forgot about', will also be published in a new book, entitled, simply, Photograph, which is released at the end of the month.

Fascinating though many of the early pictures and travel shots are, for many Beatles fans, the real draw is the many candid shots of Mr Starr and his three bandmates.

Some were taken during the band's tour of the US in 1964, among them the snap of Lennon in a Florida bar and McCartney in his hotel room, while others were taken in Brighton, Paris and London's famous Abbey Road studios.

Another shows Lennon and McCartney hard at work in the studio, while a further image, the newest of the set, shows Mr Starr relaxing at home and smoking a cigarette.

‘These are shots that no-one else could have taken,' said Mr Starr. 'Together they chart the story of four lads from Liverpool trying to live normal lives amidst the frenzy that surrounded them.

Self-portrait: A snap of Ringo Starr, taken by the man himself, at home enjoying a cigarette in 1970

Making music: McCartney and Lennon pictured recording Hey Bulldog in Studio three at Abbey Road Studios on the 11th February 1968

On tour: McCartney and Lennon photographed relaxing near Delhi on a tour of India in July 1966

Early years: Mr Starr and George Harrison photographed backstage at the Big Beat, held at the Tower Ballroom in Brighton, in 1961

Messing about: McCartney pictured during a light-hearted moment with road manager Mal Evans at the George V in Paris in 1964

'I have always loved taking photos. All the Beatles had cameras – I think we bought a whole load on our first tour of Japan – but I’d been snapping away for a while before that.

We always had a real photographer around us, like Dezo Hoffman and Bob Freeman who took a lot of photos of The Beatles for our album covers.

'But I took pictures of them photographing us – and I had a unique perspective of that incredible period of our lives. I hope you’ll enjoy a few unique Beatles memories with me.'

Limited edition prints from the exhibition have also been made available, although only 25 copies of each £1,900 print exists. Mr Starr's book is also being sold at the gallery.

‘The National Portrait Gallery Shop is delighted to be launching Photograph by Ringo Starr and to be displaying Ringo’s prints from the book – some of which are on sale for the very first time,' said Perry Bushell, the National Portrait Gallery's head of retail.

'The book and the prints are a fantastic record of Ringo’s early years and his close relationship with Paul, John and George is shown in these rarely seen photographs.’

Photograph by Ringo Starr is released on 21st September 2015. For more information, see www.ringophotobook.com

Job done: Ringo Starr pictured with a copy of the new book, Photograph. The tome is released on the 21st September

Reliving the Beatles: Mr Starr points out one of his favourite photos during a photocall at the National Portrait Gallery