For more than 50 years, May Pang has answered questions about her time with John Lennon. At her upcoming Tucson exhibition, however, she hopes the photographs will do the talking.
“The Lost Weekend: The Photography of May Pang” — a collection of candid images of her and Lennon — will be on display at Arizona Picture & Frame in Tucson from Thursday, Nov. 12, to Saturday, Nov. 14.
The free exhibition features photographs Pang captured during the 18 months she spent with Lennon from late 1973 through 1975, a period that became known as his “Lost Weekend.” Joining her will be longtime friend and former Apple Records associate Chris O’Dell, who will share stories from her own experiences within the Beatles’ inner circle.
For Pang, the exhibition is more than a display of photographs. The Tucson event is an opportunity to provide context to a chapter of Beatles history that she says is often misunderstood.
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“I think there’s a lot of confusion,” Pang said. “A lot of people have heard stories and didn’t know what it meant or how it was. They thought that my time with John was only a weekend because of the title, ‘The Lost Weekend.’ So, there’s a lot of misconceptions from back then.”
The Tucson show will be noticeably larger than her previous appearance in Arizona. Pang said the original exhibition featured about 27 or 28 photographs. Today, the collection has expanded to roughly 38 images, including several photographs that have never been shown in Arizona.
Among the additions are some of Pang’s earliest photographs.
“This will be the very first photograph that I’ve ever taken of any Beatle, which would be George, and then my second photo is of John,” she says. “Both those photos were taken weeks apart in 1970, so it was really early on.”
The exhibition features images documenting one of the most productive stretches of Lennon’s post-Beatles career. During the period, Lennon released the albums “Mind Games,” “Walls and Bridges” and “Rock ’n’ Roll,” and collaborated with artists including Elton John, David Bowie, Harry Nilsson and Ringo Starr. Pang’s photographs capture both the creative energy and the quieter personal moments of those years.
Visitors will see candid images of Lennon with family members, friends and fellow musicians, including a photograph of him signing the agreement to dissolve the Beatles and one of the last known images of Lennon and Paul McCartney together.
What continues to surprise Pang is the reaction she sees from visitors when they encounter those images in person.
“I like to bring the lightheartedness,” she said. “When people come in and they see the photographs, you can see it in their face how they light up. They see a side of John that they’ve never seen before.”
Many of the photographs remained unseen for decades.
“It was under my bed. It was under storage for a long time,” Pang said. “I really didn’t think people would be interested, so I never took it out before.”
Though professional photographers have praised her eye for composition and timing, Pang still hesitates to embrace the label of “photographer.”
“I don’t call myself a ‘photographer,’” she said. “I’ve never taken a lesson. I didn’t go to school or anything. Professional photographers have come up to me and said, ‘You have an eye for taking photos.’ I’m just honored that they say that.”
Pang also encourages visitors to view the documentary “The Lost Weekend: A Love Story” before attending the exhibit. She believes understanding the story behind the images adds another layer to the experience.
“It gives a lot more depth to the pictures,” she says. “A lot of people have come back to me afterward and said, ‘You’re right. I should have seen it first.’”
Equally important to Pang is the chance to connect directly with fans. Unlike books or documentaries, the exhibition allows visitors to ask questions of someone who witnessed the events firsthand.
“I was there for it,” she said. “I stood there. I could tell you what happened and witness it. They can ask experts who have done their research, and that’s great. But I’m one of the few who can say I was there.”
