Most sources I've been able to check suggest these to be the final photographs of Lennon & McCartney together:
Now, were these taken by May Pang - as some sources claim - during the lost weekend at John's rented Santa Monica beach house? or were they taken by Dougal Butler, friend and assistant to Keith Moon who was also there at the time?
I think there were other polaroids shot that day (April 1st 1974) and at some point Ringo was also in attendance, though I'm unaware of any which show Ringo, John and Paul together at the same time.
As Moog pointed out, the
final face to face meeting between John and Paul, despite a lack of photos, is well documented.
Or is it?
A meeting - received wisdom states it unequivocally to have been their last - took place on Sunday April 25th, 1976, when Paul dropped by at The Dakota with his guitar, keen to continue the fun vibe he and John had enjoyed together the previous evening. I'm sure we all know this was the infamous occasion when John wasn't in the mood for playtime again, and Paul felt a bit rebuffed. Although the two men supposedly never met up ever again they
did enjoy friendly contact via telephone calls over subsequent years.
And yet...
rumours abound here and there of at least one further meeting between Lennon & McCartney anywhere between 1977 and 1980. I suppose I should at least mention, for example, that Geoffrey Giuliano (yes I know, I know) claimed that John, Paul, Yoko & Linda all went out to see the film "Pretty Baby" together. That movie was released in Spring 1978.
Tantalisingly, Paul's son James (born September 12th, 1977) is on record as saying: "I know John held me as a baby. Then I have memories of the Dakota building, very white, lots of sunlight pouring in." But the memory can play tricks and at the time John died James was only three and may be relying on a confused timeline relayed to him by his dad - not always the most reliable source for dates. I think Paul & Linda visited Yoko at The Dakota in 1981 and I suspect this is the memory James has.
But who knows? It could be argued there was more "fuss" to be had over potential meetings between John and Paul than would have arisen around a John and Ringo get together or a John and George reunion. The sheer significance of "Lennon & McCartney" together in the same room would always carry that extra layer of gravitas and it may be that Paul and John were more guarded in letting any notion of their getting together leak out. I have read that even now Paul remains a little cagey when pressed as to their last actual face to face encounter. Is he trying to hide something? I doubt it. Wishful thinking on the fans' part I reckon. But you never know....maybe one day a hidden stash of Linda's photos will surface and surprise us all!