Gerry cross the Mersey at the Museum of Liverpool

They had three consecutive number ones – including the iconic anthem You’ll Never Walk Alone – with their first three releases, beating Merseybeat rivals the Beatles to the top of the charts in the process.

Gerry and the Pacemakers were one of the most popular and most successful beat groups of the Liverpool scene in the early 1960s.

Now a new exhibition of candid snaps of Gerry Marsden, the Pacemakers and friends like a young Cilla Black, has opened at the Museum of Liverpool.

The exhibition features 30 images by local photographers Graham Spencer and Peter Kaye, taken more than half-a-century ago and capturing the youthful spirit and wit of the young Scouse group.

Photos show them larking about at St George’s Hall, and filming at the Locarno Ballroom as well as performing at the Cavern.

Singer Gerry Marsden says: “To see these images takes me back to those incredible days. From meeting fans to performing at the Cavern and photoshoots around Liverpool, they give a glimpse of what an exciting time it was.

A young Gerry Marsden joking around with Cilla Black. Credit: National Museums Liverpool

“It is an honour to have the exhibition on display at the Museum of Liverpool which celebrates Liverpool as a hotbed of outstanding talent and creativity.”

And Claire Hunter, National Museum Liverpool assistant curator of Urban History, adds: “Gerry and the Pacemakers: Hit Makers and Record Breakers is a great insight into a group who achieved incredible success.

“These photographs explore not only their significant accomplishments but also the group’s enduring bond to Liverpool, which more than five decades later, still has a role in the global image of the city.”

Gerry and the Pacemakers: Hit Makers and Record Breakers runs until January 7.