unseen ziggy guitar revealed at V&A's david bowie centre in london ahead of opening

Artist’s Personal archive collections inside david bowie centre 

V&A East Storehouse announces new details on the David Bowie Centre ahead of its opening on September 13th 2025 in London, England. Set to be the permanent home of David Bowie’s personal archive with more than 90,000 items, the museum allows visitors to schedule a one-on-one with the items on display so they can view certain objects more closely and with a reduced crowd. The David Bowie Centre archive includes handwritten lyrics, drawings, costumes, photos, letters, musical instruments, set lists, and design sketches. Some of the late revered artist’s unrealized projects are on display too, from ideas for albums to films and tours that were never finished. 

More specifically, the David Bowie Centre reveals a wealth of previously unseen items from the artist’s archive, including one of Bowie’s final Ziggy Stardust guitars, costumes for The Next Day and Blackstar, and Jim Henson-designed puppets from an unreleased music video. Nine rotating mini-displays feature around 200 highlights, while guest-curated selections by Nile Rodgers and The Last Dinner Party provide intimate insights into Bowie’s collaborations and creative process. The Centre, designed by IDK, also includes interactive installations such as The Library of Connections, tracing Bowie’s cultural influence from fashion to music, and offers free behind-the-scenes sessions with the archive team in its Object Encounters program.

overview of the David Bowie Centre | all images by David Parry PA Media Assignments, unless stated otherwise

More than 90,000 items on display within V&A East Storehouse

At the David Bowie Centre, opening in September 2025 within the V&A East Storehouse museum, the archive collection also showcases the artist’s many artistic identities, such as Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane. Visitors can learn how he created these characters, how he used technology and science fiction, and how he designed his stage shows to be unique and theatrical in the permanent archival home.

Some of the highlights include David Bowie’s 1987 Glass Spider Tour as well as his 1987 concert at the Berlin Wall. The David Bowie Centre also features guest-curated displays, where artists who worked with him or were inspired by him choose memorabilia to show. One is by Nile Rodgers, a music producer who worked on David Bowie’s albums Let’s Dance and Black Tie White Noise.

set to be the permanent home of David Bowie’s personal archive

Guest-curated displays with rare photos of studio sessions

For his guest curation, Nile Rodgers chooses items that show their friendship and musical teamwork, including the custom suit David Bowie wore on tour, photos of him recording music with Rodgers, some personal letters they exchanged, and several rare photos of studio sessions with backup singers, to name a few. Another display is by The Last Dinner Party, a modern British rock band, choosing objects from the 1970s that show David Bowie’s artistic energy, such as the handwritten lyrics from his Young Americans album and notes from his Station to Station tour.

The other archives are a manual for a special synthesizer Bowie used in his Berlin Trilogy albums as well as photos of the artist working in the studio. The David Bowie Centre, set to open on September 13th, 2025, was made possible by the David Bowie Estate, the Blavatnik Family Foundation, and Warner Music Group. It’s now part of the larger V&A Archive, which holds works from like Vivien Leigh, The House of Worth, and Glastonbury Festival.

David Bowie Centre accommodates more than 90,000 items

a wealth of previously unseen items from the artist’s archive

a V&A Technician adjusts gold wings designed by Diana Moseley for David Bowie for the Glass Spider tour, 1987

handwritten lyrics for song ‘Win’ from album Young Americans

applying finishing touches to a display of David Bowie’s ‘Unrealised Projects’

David Bowie’s paint palette and knife

Union Flag frockcoat designed by David Bowie and Alexander McQueen for Earthling, 1997

the archive collection showcases the artist’s many artistic identities

the Aladdin Sane jacket designed by Freddie Burretti for David Bowie on the Ziggy Stardust live tour in 1973

a set model designed by Jules Fisher and Mark Ravitz for Diamond Dogs tour, 1974

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a Ziggy Stardust costume designed for Bowie by Kansai Yamamoto in 1972

a diamante earring worn by David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust in 1972

a photograph of Little Richard owned by David Bowie

shoes designed by Pelican Footwear for David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust in 1972

the Centre, designed by IDK, also includes interactive installations

tracing Bowie’s cultural influence from fashion to music

the suit Bowie wore for the 1975 Grammy Awards, made by Jan Girard

some of the late revered artist’s unrealized projects are on display too

 

Isolar II poster magazine, David Bowie, 1978, US. Museum no. S.1171:1 to 2-2010. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London | all images courtesy of V&A Museum

photograph of David Bowie, Kevin Cummins, 1970s, Uk. Museum no: S.1326-2010. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Aladdin Sane album cover, Duffy and Philo, 1970, Uk. Museum no: E.583-1985. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Diamond Dogs, vinyl, produced by David Bowie, RCA Records, cover art by Guy Peellaert, 1974, England. Museum no. S.3354-2013. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

photograph of David Bowie, Terry O’Neill, 1974, England. Museum no. E.315-2011. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

a Dubreq stylophone used on ‘Space Oddity’ and given to Bowie by Marc Bolan in 1969 | image courtesy of the V&A.

Aladdin Sane Contact Sheet © Duffy Archive & © The David Bowie ArchiveTM

Aladdin Sane jacket, designed by Freddie Burretti for David Bowie, 1973 | image courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum

Aladdin Sane stage wear. Designed by Freddie Burretti for David Bowie, 1973 | image courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

cut-up lyrics Bowie used for song ‘Blackout’ from album Heroes (19 pieces), 1977 | image courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum

David Bowie performing as Ziggy Stardust wearing asymmetric catsuit designed by Kansai Yamamoto. Photo Mick Rock, 1973 | © Mick Rock

David Bowie performing on the Ziggy Stardust tour, 1973 © Mick Rock 1973, Estate of Mick Rock 2025

David Bowie with artists Luther Vandross, Ava Cherry and Robin Clark during Young Americans album recording session, 1975. Photo by Corinne Schwab

David Bowie with Red Steinberger Hohner electric guitar used in Valentine’s Day music video. Photo by Jimmy King © The David Bowie ArchiveTM

David Bowie’s paint palette and palette knife. Image courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum. © The David Bowie ArchiveTM

Drawing for Space Oddity album artwork, by David Bowie, 1969. © The David Bowie ArchiveTM

Frockcoat designed by Alexander McQueen and David Bowie for his 50th Birthday Concert, 1997. Image courtesy of the V&A

Grafton Alto saxophone and case owned by David Bowie, ca.1961. Image courtesy of the V&A

Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award given to David Bowie in 2006. Image courtesy of the V&A.

Harptone 12-string acoustic guitar and case used by David Bowie, ca. 1970. Image courtesy of the V&A.

Lithograph of 1988 painting Self-portrait (Mustique), by David Bowie, 2002. © The David Bowie ArchiveTM

Lyrics for song ‘Win’ from album Young Americans. Written by David Bowie 1974. Image courtesy of the V&A

Replica of the 'Tokyo Pop' jumpsuit made by Kansai Yamamoto and worn by David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust. Image courtesy of the V&A

Riding crop prop made by Mitchell Nugent and used by David Bowie during the filming of Labyrinth, 1985. Image courtesy of the V&A.

Set for The Glass Spider Tour for album Never Let Me Down gifted to Bowie by Vari-Lite Concerts Inc, 1978. © The David Bowie ArchiveTM

Set list for album tour for Station to Station, written by David Bowie, 1976. © The David Bowie ArchiveTM

Sketch for film project Diamond Dogs, by David Bowie, 1974. © The David Bowie ArchiveTM

 

Sketch for film project Diamond Dogs, by David Bowie, 1974. © The David Bowie ArchiveTM

Tin Machine II era doll made by a fan for David Bowie, ca.1991 | image courtesy of the V&A

project info:

name: David Bowie Centre 

museum: V&A East Storehouse | @vamuseum

opening date: September 2025