The (very first) Apple Store

The brain child of The Beatles; The Apple Boutique, one of the band's first endeavors after the death of their manager, Brian Epstein. The idea was, as Paul McCartney described it, to create "a beautiful place where beautiful people could buy beautiful things." Merchandise that adorned the inside of the shop was mostly fashion items and accessories, some of which were designed by Pattie Boyd Harrison.

The location was chosen at the corner of Baker Street and Paddington Street in Marylebone and The Fool design collective were paid £100,000 (over £2M today) to design and stock the first location. The Beatles had ideas of creating a national chain of Apple Boutiques across England. A member of The Fool, employed a group of art students to paint a psychedelic style mural across the front and side of the building, which they did over two days in Nobember 1967. Westminster City Council had never provided permission (it's not really clear if permission was ever requested) and, coupled with complaints from local businesses, the landlord (who was never asked either) issued an enforcement notice to paint over the mural.

The opening launch party was held on 5 December 1967. John and George were there along with their wives. They were joined by Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Cila Black. All of them sipping apple juice since they didn't have a liquor license. The entertainment for the evening consisted of three people playing Arabic music on a flute, a small drum and finger symbols. The first 50 people to arrive received an Apple money clip as a free gift.

Peter Shotton, a friend of Lennon's, and Jenny Boyd, Pattie's sister, managed the store. Not very well, however. Customers, staff members and even The Fool just helped themselves to any merchandise they wanted. Staff cliamed they had a hard time determininng what was shop merchandise and what people wore into the store.

Between 15 and 18 May 1968, the mural was painted over with white paint. The only identifying remnant was the word Apple in cursive print.

The retail business was such a financial disaster, it was estimated to have lost £200,000 (the equivalent of over £4M by today's standards) forcing the decision to close the store on 31 July 1968. The night before the store closed for good, The Beatles and their wives and girlfriends went to take what they wanted. The next morning it was announced that whatever was left would be given away - one item per person. The store was emptied within hours. In a press release explaining The Beatles motives for closing up shop, McCartney said, "All that's happened is that we've closed our shop in which, we feel, we shouldn't, in the first place, been involved. Our main business is entertainment."

The building that housed the boutique was demolished a few years later and replaced with the building that stands on the site today. In April 2003, the Heritage Foundation dedicated a blue plaque to John Lennon on the site. In March 2013, that one was replaced by a new plaque mentioning both Lennon and Harrison's involvement in the place.

On 31 July 2008, the BBC program Newsnight projected a re-creation of the Apple Boutique mural onto the building marking the 40th anniverwary of the shop closing.

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