LONDON — At 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, four longhaired men tried to do what many music fans have done for decades: cross a London street made famous by a band from Liverpool.

One man was barefoot and held a cigarette in his fingers. Another sported round spectacles and was dressed entirely in white. A third wore a double-denim outfit, and the fourth flaunted a colorful scarf over a black suit.

But they were not alone: Hundreds of people surrounded them to commemorate the moment when, 50 years ago, four other longhaired men crossed that same street and were immortalized in one of the most imitated music photos ever made: the album cover for the Beatles’ “Abbey Road.”