Abbey Road Crossing

On August 8, 1969, photographer Iain Macmillan stood on a stepladder in the middle of Abbey Road and shot six frames of John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison walking across the pedestrian crossing outside EMI Studios. The sixth frame became the cover of Abbey Road -- one of the most imitated and most instantly recognisable album covers in history. The whole shoot took about ten minutes. The cover was controversial: McCartney walked barefoot, which some interpreted as a 'clue' in the Paul-is-dead conspiracy theory. It was actually just hot, and he'd taken his sandals off.

Abbey Road Studios, immediately adjacent, is where The Beatles recorded virtually their entire catalogue from 1963 to 1969, and where Macmillan's photograph places them. The crossing itself has no particular musical significance -- it was simply the nearest zebra crossing to the studio gates -- but the image made it one of the most famous stretches of pavement in the world. Fans have been recreating the photograph here ever since, to the considerable annoyance of passing drivers.

The crossing is freely accessible at all times on Abbey Road in St John's Wood, about a ten-minute walk from St John's Wood tube station. A live webcam installed by Abbey Road Studios shows the crossing around the clock, allowing the global recreation of the walk without leaving home. Abbey Road Studios is still an active recording facility and offers occasional tours; the gate outside is covered in fan graffiti that is periodically cleared and replaced.