Reporter finds dozens of undiscovered Beatles photos in father's closet after his death

SAN ANTONIO (WOAI/KABB) — Bob Collister loved his job.

He was a photojournalist, covering everything from floods to riots to celebrities.

"I grew up in the news rooms and in the dark rooms," said his son Brian.

Brian said he admired that. "I looked up to my father because I thought he was cool," he said. "Plus he got to get us into all these different places and shoot pictures of people. I went on assignment with him many times."

He died in 2019. On his deathbed, Brian remembers the last few conversations they had together.

"He said, I want you to have all of my photographs, my negatives and my slides," said Brian. And there were many photos. Brian spent weeks looking through them all.

Photos of the famous.

"There's Tina Turner, there's Gary Puckett and Union Gap, there's some Congress people," Brian said.

But one of those envelopes really stood out.

Hidden away for years, waiting quietly to be discovered, was an envelope with the word "Beatles" written on it.

On the inside, never before seen undeveloped photographs of the Beatles playing live at the now-demolished Shea Stadium in Queens, New York City.

Dozens of up close and personal photos captured the raw emotion of the night.

"So, these 50-plus year old Beatles photographs sat in a closet in San Antonio, undiscovered for 20 years," he said. "There are two pictures where Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are looking right at my father."

It's a discovery that's gaining attention from historians and fans worldwide.

Brian said his dad wasn't perfect, but he looked up to him. And for that, he'll always admire him. "His work is amazing. It's world class photography," he said.

Brian said he wants to auction off the photos with the proceeds going to fund opportunities and education for journalists. To learn more, click here.