David Bowie archive with 90,000 items to open to public in London

From glittery Ziggy Stardust costumes and handwritten song lyrics to fan letters and notes on an unfinished musical, a new archive of David Bowie's life and career is to open its doors to the public in London.

From Saturday, fans and researchers interested in the late British music legend will be able to access some 90,000 items by appointment at the David Bowie Centre at VA East Storehouse in east London.

Hailed as the "chameleon" of rock music for continually reinventing his artistic persona, Bowie straddled the worlds of music, fashion, drama and art, leaving behind an extensive collection of items from a five-decade career.

He died of cancer in 2016 aged 69, just two days after the release of his final album, Blackstar.

Harriet Reed, Curator of Contemporary Performance at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), poses with late British musician David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust guitar at the David Bowie Centre in the V&A East Storehouse in London

Curators said the archive includes 70,000 photographs, 400 costumes, 150 musical instruments and personal notebooks. A separate display of 200 items also explores Bowie's creativity.

"We also have displays that chart Bowie's evolution as a multi-dimensional creative, and speak to his enduring influence on popular culture and how artists like Bowie transform creative practice and have the power to change our worlds," lead curator Madeleine Haddon said, describing the artist as a "true polymath."

The archive also features ideas Bowie scribbled on to Post-it notes, found in his New York office following his death, for a potential musical set in the 18th century called The Spectator, that he was working on towards the end of his life.

The ideas for the musical are drawn from figures of the era including the painter William Hogarth and the London thief Jack Sheppard.

"We can only speculate as to what final idea he had for that project," Harriet Reed, curator of contemporary performance at the VA museum, said.

"It's a really fascinating look at how Bowie worked as an artist, but (also) as a human being," Reed said of the archive. "He can be used as an inspiration to anyone."

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