Hi Gerard,
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I remember Dick Mathews - I used some of his photos in a book I published about the Cavern back in 1995.
He was a very nice, modest man - but he wasn't ripped off. Apple paid him a considerable amount for his Beatles' negs at a time when most photo agencies would have paid very little. (I believe the sum was over £35k if I remember what Dick told me). His problem was not how much he got - it was the loss of the negs which were his main connection to The Beatles. Once you have spent the money - you start having regrets.
Don't forget, in the late 80s, The Beatles weren't considered the marketing phenomena they are now. Very few predicted they would just get bigger. Apple were 'obsessed' with collecting as much material as they could for their own future projects (books/films etc). I know people with original material who were desperate to sell to them knowing they would get a good price.
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