Thirteen Priceless Artifacts From David Bowie’s Secret Archive

When David Bowie died in 2016, he left behind a personal archive of 90,000 items. The public was given a tiny glimpse at some of the highlights when the “David Bowie Is” exhibit travelled to museums across the world between 2013 and 2018, but the vast majority of the items remained locked away in storage. That finally changed on September 13, when the David Bowie Centre opened at the V&A East Storehouse in London. It’s a permanent home for the entire collection, which offers a fascinating look behind the curtain of Bowie’s life and career. There are handwritten lyrics and setlists, stage costumes, paintings, instruments, behind-the-scenes photos, notebooks, fan mail, private letters, and many other priceless artifacts. Here are 13 of the highlights from the collection. (If you want to see the other 89,987 items, book a ticket; admission is free, but timed tickets need to be secured in advance via the official website.)