A huge collection of Beatles photographs and images is set for display at the Beatles at the Ridge music festival Sept. 19 and 20. The Argenta Collection will be unveiled at the annual festival in downtown Walnut Ridge.
“The Argenta Collection contains 229 large format photos. These go back to the days when photographs were taken by news reporters with film cameras, and many photos were kept in archives and never published,†said festival chairman Charles Snapp.
Retro Images originally composed the collection for the Argenta Arts Foundation in North Little Rock. After being displayed there, the foundation donated the entire collection to Downtown Walnut Ridge, Inc.
“This is likely the largest such collection in the world, and that is no hype. The collection really is that massive,†said Snapp. “This is a tremendous gift to Downtown Walnut Ridge, and we plan to make the most of it.â€
The entire collection will be on display during Beatles at the Ridge at The Studio, a new event center opening at the corner of Main Street and Abbey Road in Walnut Ridge.
The Argenta Collection will be displayed as part of the Beatles Artists & Authors Symposium, which has become a major component of the Beatles at the Ridge Festival.
This year’s Beatles at the Ridge Festival commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Fab Four’s stop at Walnut Ridge Airport in September of 1964.
After the festival, the Argenta Collection will be on rotating display at the Lawrence County Library. Some 60 to 70 photos will be displayed at all times at the library, which is located at Walnut and Second Streets in Walnut Ridge.
For additional information: www.BeatlesAtTheRidge.com or contact Charles Snapp 501-412-6497 snapp1@sbcglobal.net
(Left to right) Charles Snapp, Lorra Whitmire, Ashley Burris and Jackie Snapp sort through the Beatles photos and images in the Argenta Collection. The collection contains over 200 large format photos, including many rarely seen before.