Penguin Random House Acquires ‘The Third Eye’
The book features previously unpublished photographs taken by George Harrison during the Beatles years.
In the 1960s, the Beatles changed the music world forever and became the most famous band on the planet. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr documented this turbulent time in many ways—including through their own photographs. In 2023, Penguin Random House imprint Allen Lane published the photo book "1964: Eyes of the Storm" featuring photographs by Paul McCartney. Now Penguin Random House in the United States has announced another Beatles photo book from that era, this time with photographs by George Harrison. Titled "The Third Eye", the book is set to be published by Random House in Fall 2026.
Taken between 1963 and 1969
"The Third Eye" covers the years 1963 to 1969 and includes more than 250 intimate color and black-and-white photographs—most of them previously unpublished—taken by the late Beatles guitarist George Harrison. The images show the Beatles at work and at play, from their hometown of Liverpool to Shea Stadium in New York, all the way to Australia and India. The book is being compiled and curated by Olivia Harrison, George Harrison’s widow, and will include an essay by Olivia Harrison as well as George’s own captions and commentary. The volume also features an introduction by Colm Tóibín, former Chancellor of the University of Liverpool, and an epilogue by Booker Prize–winning author George Saunders.
Olivia Harrison says, “I want to show people, from George’s unique photographic perspective during the Beatles’ early years, the moments when the whole of your life is ahead of you with unknowable possibilities. His images in 'The Third Eye' capture that spirit.” Random House publisher Andy Ward adds, “Books like this sure don’t come along very often. It’s a window into the mind of a truly great artist, a chance to experience the world through George’s eyes, and a deeply personal record of a transformative cultural moment.”
George Harrison’s music at BMG
Bertelsmann, through BMG, has long maintained a connection with George Harrison’s family and his label, Dark Horse Records. The partnership began with the release of solo albums by Dhani Harrison, George Harrison’s son, and expanded in 2020 to include the administration of Dark Horse Records, founded by George Harrison in 1974. Artists who have released music under the label include Harrison himself, as well as Billy Idol, Joe Strummer (The Clash), Yusuf (Cat Stevens), and Ravi Shankar. In 2021, BMG acquired George Harrison’s music publishing rights. In 2023, the Bertelsmann music subsidiary purchased the recorded catalog of Harrison’s solo works. For the first time, both the publishing rights and the recorded music catalog of George Harrison are now united under one roof—at BMG/Dark Horse Records.
