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John Lennon — The New York Years

John Lennon — The New York Years, photographed by Bob Gruen

Few photographers had the access to John Lennon that Bob Gruen had through the 1970s. He met Lennon and Yoko Ono shortly after they moved to New York and photographed them for the next eight years, in the studio, at home, at demonstrations and on the street, as friend as much as photographer.

The collection follows that decade. It begins at the Apollo Theater in 1971 and the Record Plant sessions of 1972, where Lennon recorded with Elephant's Memory and where Gruen photographed him alongside Andy Warhol, Phil Spector and Mick Jagger. It continues through the One to One concert at Madison Square Garden in 1972, the last full concert Lennon gave, and the walks through Central Park and Central Park West in 1973.

In 1974 Gruen made the photograph that became the defining image of Lennon's New York life: the portrait on a rooftop in the NYC T-shirt, taken on the same afternoon as the Statue of Liberty picture and the frames from the Walls and Bridges session. The collection includes the contact sheet from that day.

Taken together, these works form the most complete photographic record of Lennon after the Beatles, made from inside his life rather than from the other side of a barrier.

Each work is produced from the original negative, hand-signed by Bob Gruen, and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and a secure digital provenance record.

Photographed by Bob Gruen. Related collections: The Beatles, Ramones, The Rolling Stones.

94 works
John Lennon. Record Plant, NYC, 1974, photographed by Bob Gruen.
John Lennon with Guitar, Record Plant, New York City, 1974TMPG·5878
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John Lennon. Record Plant, NYC, 1974, photographed by Bob Gruen.
John Lennon with the Band, Record Plant, New York City, 1974TMPG·3110
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Elton John and John Lennon, New York City, 1974, photographed by Bob Gruen.
Elton John and John Lennon, New York City, 1974TMPG·8646
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Elton John & John Lennon, NYC - 1974, photographed by Bob Gruen.
Elton John and John Lennon at the Piano, New York City, 1974TMPG·6598
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Harry Nilsson and John Lennon, Record Plant, New York City, 1974, photographed by Bob Gruen.
Harry Nilsson and John Lennon, Record Plant, New York City, 1974TMPG·8998
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Donyale Luna and John Lennon. Hippopotamus Club, NYC, 1974, photographed by Bob Gruen.
Donyale Luna and John Lennon, Hippopotamus Club, New York City, 1974TMPG·6230
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John Lennon with guitar on stage at Madison Square Garden, New York City, 1974, photographed by Bob Gruen.
John Lennon with Guitar, Madison Square Garden, New York City, 1974TMPG·6774
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John Lennon performing with guitar at Madison Square Garden, New York City, 1974, photographed by Bob Gruen.
John Lennon Performing at Madison Square Garden, New York City, 1974TMPG·1238
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David Bowie, Art Garfunkel, Paul Simon, Yoko Ono, John Lennon and Roberta Flack, Uris Theater, NYC. March 1, 1975, photographed by Bob Gruen.
David Bowie, Art Garfunkel, Paul Simon, Yoko Ono, John Lennon and Roberta Flack, Uris Theater, New York City, 1975TMPG·2662
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Family Life

1975-1980
Following the birth of Sean Lennon, John stepped back from public life and entered a quieter period centered on family. These photographs show Lennon as a father and husband rather than a public icon, offering a rare view of domestic life during one of the most private chapters of his New York years. Gruen’s images from this period shift the tone of the collection from public mythology to personal intimacy, revealing a life shaped by parenthood, retreat, and reflection.
John Lennon and Sean Lennon, New York City, 1975, photographed by Bob Gruen.
John Lennon and Sean Lennon, New York City, 1975TMPG·7046
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John Lennon and Sean Lennon, New York City, 1975, photographed by Bob Gruen.
John Lennon and Sean Lennon, New York City, 1975TMPG·8822
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John Lennon holding Sean Lennon with Yoko Ono in New York City, 1975, photographed by Bob Gruen.
John Lennon, Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon, New York City, 1975TMPG·4278
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John Lennon holding Sean Lennon with Yoko Ono in New York City, 1975, photographed by Bob Gruen.
John Lennon, Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon, Family Portrait, New York City, 1975TMPG·8742
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John Lennon wearing a beige suit at Untermyer Park in Yonkers, NY, 1975, photographed by Bob Gruen.
John Lennon, Untermyer Park, Yonkers, New York, 1975TMPG·2310
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John Lennon. NY, 1975, photographed by Bob Gruen.
John Lennon, New York City, 1975TMPG·3654
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John Lennon and Yoko Ono. NYC, 1976, photographed by Bob Gruen.
John Lennon and Yoko Ono, New York City, 1976TMPG·5254
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John Lennon and Yoko Ono, New York City, 1977, photographed by Bob Gruen.
John Lennon and Yoko Ono, New York City, 1977TMPG·5350
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Double Fantasy

Double Fantasy

The Return, 1980
After five years away from recording, John Lennon returned to the studio in 1980 to create Double Fantasy with Yoko Ono. Bob Gruen documented the sessions at Record Plant and The Hit Factory, capturing an artist who appeared energized, optimistic, and creatively renewed. These photographs show Lennon at work again, surrounded by music, collaboration, and family. They would become some of the final professional images made of him before his death later that year.
John Lennon and Yoko Ono at Record Plant Studios in New York City, 1980, photographed by Bob Gruen.
John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Record Plant Studios, New York City, 1980TMPG·3478
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72 of 94 works