More than 80,000 items spanning David Bowie's career are to go on show in the UK. The late musician's personal archive will be displayed in London at the David Bowie Centre for the Study of Performing Arts, which is being created at the new V&A East Storehouse in Stratford's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
The collection will feature handwritten lyrics, letters, sheet music, original costumes, fashion, photography, film, music videos, set designs, album artwork and awards. It will also include instruments owned by the star, who died in 2016, as well as writings and unrealised projects never before seen in public.
Highlights include stage costumes such as Bowie’s breakthrough Ziggy Stardust ensembles, designed by Freddie Burretti in 1972, Kansai Yamamoto’s creations for the Aladdin Sane tour in 1973, and the Union Jack coat designed by Bowie and Alexander McQueen for the 1997 Earthling album cover. The archive also includes over 70,000 photographs, prints, negatives, slides and contact sheets taken by some of the 20th century’s leading photographers from Terry O’Neill to Brian Duffy and Helmut Newton.
