On 29th August 1974 John Lennon asked Bob Gruen, his friend and well-known photographer, to come over to his penthouse apartment in Manhattan and take a series of photos for his ‘Walls and Bridges’ album. When they were done, John said, “Let’s take some publicity photos.” They started thinking about the roof, as it was surrounded by the New York skyline.

Bob wondered if John still had the T-Shirt he gave to him a year earlier. Back then some guys used to make them and then sell the shirts on blankets in Times Square. They weren’t in stores and Bob really liked the graphics. So one day he passed by one of those stands, bought one for John and even cut out the sleeves with a buck knife for him.

Looking at the skyline, Bob said, “Do you still have that T-Shirt? Because I think it would look great with the skyline behind you.” John did and then put it on. Neither having any idea that the photo would become such an iconic moment.

Trying to recreate iconic moments with standard Lego pieces can be difficult and seeing earlier attempts at John’s minifigure, I knew that some customised parts would be essential. Minifigs.me offer a bespoke custom design service and did a great job with John’s head and torso. They also printed the ‘Some Time in New York City’ album, which I think works far better in my scene than the ‘Walls and Bridges’ album. John’s hair and Bob’s camera are standard Lego pieces.

Firestartoys.com stock a large variety of customised parts and my Bob Gruen minifigure was built from their designs. The dark blue jeans that I chose for Bob were also perfect for John.

This model was created by Alan Green.