Before the fame and fortune, the Lads from Liverpool put in thousands of hours in clubs and lounges across the UK, Germany, Sweden, and France. Yet few venues can be so closely associated with the earliest days of the Beatles as the original Cavern Club in Liverpool, England.

The Beatles first played the Cavern Club in 1961 where they were soon noticed by talent spotter and future manager, Brian Epstein. The venue was inspired by Parisian jazz clubs and boasted an iconic brick laden cellar that served as the stage. This specimen is a fragment of one of those bricks that first experienced the sound of the Beatles.

The 1967 single “Strawberry Fields Forever” is particularly evocative of this shift towards the psychedelic. The result is one of the most memorable tracks in the Beatles’ discography.

The song was written by John Lennon, who based it upon Strawberry Field, a children’s home in Liverpool whose garden he would play in as a child. The house was built during the Victorian era in the Gothic Revival style. The earliest record of the house comes from 1870 when it was owned by shipping merchant George Warren. It then passed to another merchant, Alexander C. Mitchell, whose widow would later sell the property to the Salvation Army in 1934. Two years later, it opened later as a home for children.

In 1958, guitarist George Harrison joined Paul McCartney and John Lennon in The Quarrymen. The 15 year old musician showed serious skill and the band met often to practice at George's parents' house.

This location at 25 Upton Green in Liverpool was host to some of the earliest rehearsals of the band which would become the Beatles. The Harrisons would move from the space in the early 60s, and it was offered up for rent before eventually being purchased by a Beatles fan.

This specimen is a selection of door frame which was removed from the house after the Harrisons' departure. It was kept stored in the attic and shared with Mini Museum by the home's current owner.