Rock photographer May Pang debuts portraits of John Lennon in Roswell

More than 50 years ago, May Pang took an elevator ride with two people who would change her life.

Pang was working as an assistant to music executive Allen Klein of ABKCO Records in New York City and arrived at the office a half hour early one morning to grab coffee. She noticed two mysterious people getting on the elevator with her.

Pang learned that they were John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, who had started making films and wanted to hire her as their personal assistant.

Then, Pang took out her camera, captured Lennon drinking Dr Pepper, and realized she was being granted more access to the superstar than any backstage pass.

“Everybody wanted a piece of him, but I didn’t fawn all over them. I just wanted to do my job and stay in my lane. He allowed me to do that back then, and I happened to be lucky to be one that ended up even more personal than just being a fan,” Pang, 75, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Now, the rock photographer is bringing “The Lost Weekend: The Photography of May Pang,” a free, traveling pop-up installation with 38 candid portraits of Lennon offstage, to the Mimms Museum of Technology and Art in Roswell on Tuesday and Wednesday. The two-day exhibit, which started with 26 portraits and has since expanded to 38, features snapshots of Lennon at home, on vacation and in the studio with musicians Ringo Starr, Keith Moon and Harry Nilsson taken with Polaroid SX-70 and Nikon Nikkormat 35 mm cameras.

Pang’s collection includes photos of Lennon signing documents to dissolve the Beatles and the final image of him with former bandmate Paul McCartney.

Her goal was never to conduct a photo shoot but to capture fond memories.

“It was never a pose thing for magazines. It was personal, for us to view, see if anything was good, and he allowed me to take as much as I wanted in whatever situation it was,” Pang said.

“People get to see him through my eyes. He was just an ordinary guy, and our lives were not in turmoil like a lot of the press would like to have us believe.”

"Father & Son, Long Island Sound, NY 1974" is an image of John Lennon with his elder son, Julian. (May Pang)

Pang took Lennon’s portraits during “The Lost Weekend,” an 18-month period between 1973 and 1975 after Lennon and Ono separated. During their estrangement, Ono insisted Pang and Lennon become romantically involved to prevent him from dating multiple women.

“I was not interested, and she wasn’t having it. I was in tears and bits, because you knew there were problems going on after working around them, but most of us tried to stay out of the way,” Pang said.

“I was working, very happy and didn’t want that to change. She thought it was going to last two weeks, but it never really ended.”

"California Grass, Palm Springs, CA 1974" features photographer May Pang and John Lennon. The portrait is part of "The Lost Weekend" exhibit at Mimms Museum of Technology and Art in Roswell Feb. 24-25, 2026. (May Pang)

Lennon and Pang fell in love, became domestic partners, and stayed in touch until he was shot and killed in December 1980. After his death, Pang landed executive positions at Island Records and United Artists.

In 1983, Pang published “Loving John,” her debut memoir about their relationship, and released an updated version, renamed “John Lennon: The Lost Weekend,” nine years later. She also released a photo anthology, “Instamatic Karma: Photographs of John Lennon,” in 2008.

Eight years later, Pang’s business partner convinced her to curate a photo exhibit with her portraits of Lennon. She concentrated on making “The Lost Weekend: A Love Story,” her documentary tracing her relationship with Lennon, and wasn’t convinced there was an audience for her images.

“I didn’t want any of my photographs to be out there. I tried it a couple of times, but I didn’t get a great response and thought nobody was really interested,” Pang said.

Former Beatles member and songwriter John Lennon is featured in "The Lost Weekend: The Photography of May Pang" exhibition at Mimms Museum of Technology and Art in Roswell on Feb. 24-25, 2026. (May Pang)

Pang changed her mind after one of the documentary’s producers suggested she create the exhibit as a companion to the film. She compares curating art shows to headlining concerts.