INSIDE THE DAVID BOWIE ARCHIVE David Bowie is a name synonymous with boundless creativity. His career was defined by relentless experimentation, constant evolution and cutting-edge innovation, resulting in one of the most influential legacies of the 20th and 21st century. The David Bowie Archive, which opened in September this year at the V&A East Storehouse, provides visitors with an exclusive, up-close look at this expansiveness, encompassing 90,000-plus items tracing Bowie’s creative processes as an innovator, cultural icon and advocate for self-expression and reinvention. The David Bowie Archive is one of the largest V&A cataloguing processes to-date. Co-led by Sabrina Offord, Archivist, V&A, and Harriet Reed, Curator, Theatre and Performance, V&A, the V&A aims to complete the cataloguing process by the end of 2026. Costumes and Accessories Costume worn by Bowie as Aladdin Sane. Designed by Freddie Burretti for David Bowie, 1973. Image courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum. One of the many creative branches of Bowie’s legacy was his iconic, boundary-pushing costumes. Inside the archive, you’ll find nearly 500 of these spectacular costumes and accessories, including 414 ensembles. The highlights include Ziggy Stardust costumes designed by Freddie Burretti and Kansai Yamamoto, a sculptural three-piece skirt designed by Mark Ravitz and Bowie himself — as worn during his ‘Man Who Sold the World’ performance on Saturday Night Live in 1979 — an Armani suit made for Bowie’s Sound + Vision live tour in 1990, and a distressed gold silk frock coat co-designed with Alexander McQueen for Bowie’s 50th Birthday Concert. Top Left: Suit David Bowie wore Ziggy Stardust for ‘Life on Mars’ music video from album Hunky Dory. Designed by Freddie Burretti, 1972. Image courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum. Top Right: Replica of the ‘Tokyo Pop’ jumpsuit made by Kansai Yamamoto and worn by David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust on the Ziggy Stardust Tour, made ca. 2013. Image courtesy of the V&A. Bottom Left: Frockcoat designed by Alexander McQueen and David Bowie for his 50th Birthday Concert, 1997. Image courtesy of the V&A. Bottom Right: Costume designed by Mark Ravitz and David Bowie, worn by David Bowie, to perform ‘Man Who Sold the World’, Saturday Night Live, 1979. Image courtesy of the V&A. Musical Instruments Top: Manual for the EMS Synthesizer, 1977. Bottom: A Dubreq stylophone used on ‘Space Oddity’ and given to Bowie by Marc Bolan in 1969. Image courtesy of the V&A. Throughout his career, Bowie’s use of instruments was diverse and varied, reflecting his commitment to constant evolution and creative freedom. The David Bowie Archive stands testimony to that, with 147 musical instruments and pieces of sound equipment, many of which were used on some of his most iconic tracks. An acoustic guitar and cased used in Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars and Let’s Dance, a Dubreq stylophone used on ‘Space Oddity’ and a never-before-seen Grafton Alto saxophone gifted to Bowie by his father when he was just 13, are just a snapshot of the highlights. Photographic Prints Top: Aladdin Sane Contact Sheet © Duffy Archive & © The David Bowie ArchiveTM Left: David Bowie with artists Luther Vandross, Ava Cherry and Robin Clark during Young Americans album recording session, 1975. Photo by Corinne Schwab. Middle: Bowie applying makeup as Ziggy Stardust. Photo by Mick Rock, 1973. © Mick Rock Right: David Bowie performing as Ziggy Stardust wearing asymmetric catsuit designed by Kansai Yamamoto. Photo Mick Rock, 1973. © Mick Rock Photographs represent an integral part of Bowie’s chameleonic career — iconic snapshots that provide us a glimpse into his truly singular creative universe. With that in mind, most of the paper-based archive is made up of photographic material, numbering 70,000 iconic images of Bowie at seminal points in his career — in his dressing room, on stage as Ziggy Stardust or in the recording studio with Luther Van Dross for Young Americans. The archive features imagery captured by some of the world’s most influential photographers, namely Mick Rock, Brian Duffy and Masayoshi Sukita. Paper-based Memorabilia Top left: Sketch for film project Diamond Dogs, by David Bowie, 1974. © The David Bowie ArchiveTM Right: Set list for album tour for Station to Station, written by David Bowie, 1976. © The David Bowie ArchiveTM Bottom: Cut-up lyrics Bowie used for song ‘Blackout’ from album Heroes (19 pieces), 1977. Image courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The artist’s commitment to genre-transcending creativity goes without saying, but the David Bowie Archive gives visitors a fascinating glimpse into this world on an intimate level. The archive includes over 9,000 paper-based materials, including notebooks, diaries, lyrics, scripts, correspondence, project files and writings. Handwritten lyrics and annotated set lists allow us to see these early stages of his creative processes, while mock-ups and illustrations — such as his original draft for the Heathen album cover — exemplify just how deeply immersed in every process Bowie was. There are even sketches and writings for several projects which remain unfinished or were never released, showcasing just how truly expansive Bowie’s work was. Awards Left: Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award given to David Bowie in 2006. Image courtesy of the V&A. Right: BAFTA The Berners Lee Award given to David Bowie in 2000. Image courtesy of the V&A. As one of the most culturally impactful artists of the 20th and 21st century, David Bowie received numerous awards throughout his illustrious career. The archive contains nearly 200 of these, spanning those won at the peak of his career — six Grammys and countless nomination medals — to his earlier days as musician with the Friars Heroes Award in 1972. Artworks, Including Fan Art David Bowie’s paint palette and palette knife. Image courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum. © The David Bowie ArchiveTM One of the many far-reaching, ever-expanding creative branches of Bowie’s universe was art, and the archive showcases the magnitude of its importance. It contains 228 artworks, including fan art collected by Bowie himself — dolls, mannequins and figures, as well as drawings and paintings made in tribute. Tours, Festivals, Music Videos and More Top: Clapperboard used for the 1976 film The Man Who Fell To Earth. Image courtesy of the V&A. Bottom: Riding crop prop made by Mitchell Nugent and used by David Bowie during the filming of Labyrinth, 1985. Image courtesy of the V&A. Performances were central to Bowie’s creative output — magnificent, transcendent spectacles that made him one of the best live performers in history. The archive stands as tribute to this, with a wealth of material relating to his performances — including set models and stage props used on tour and in music videos. Highlights include Mark Ravitz’s set model for The Glass Spider Tour in 1987, the riding crop used by Bowie during the filming of Labyrinth in 1985, and the clapperboard used for the 1976 film The Man Who Fell To Earth. 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