Paul McCartney donates 'incredibly generous gift' of unseen Linda McCartney photos to V&A museum

The images will go on display at the V&A from 12 October

Linda Eastman (1941 - 1998) talks to Paul McCartney at the press launch of the Beatles new album 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band', 19th May 1967. The couple married two years later. (John Pratt/Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Sir Paul McCartney has donated 63 photographs by his late wife Linda to the V&A museum in London.

The "incredibly generous gift" includes portraits of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix, as well as family photos.

Several original Polaroids by Linda McCartney - who was voted US female photographer of the year in 1967 (the same year she met Paul) - will be shown to the public for the first time.

The images will go on display at the V&A's new Photography Centre when it opens on 12 October this year.

Martin Barnes, senior curator of photographs at the V&A, said: “Linda McCartney was a talented eye-witness of pop culture and explored many creative approaches to artistic photography.

"Her camera also captured tender moments with her family. Our greatest thanks go to Sir Paul McCartney and his family for this incredibly generous gift.“

Linda McCartney - born Linda Eastman - was the first female photographer to have her work featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, with her portrait of Eric Clapton.

She married Paul McCartney in 1969 and had four children - Stella, Heather, Mary and James. She died from breast cancer in 1998.