A major Bowie collection arrives in Dundee
V&A Dundee has unveiled a new exhibition examining the life, work and creative legacy of David Bowie, bringing more than 100 objects from the musician’s personal collection to the city. The display brings together material from across Bowie’s career and interests, including music, film, theatre, dance, photography and art.
The exhibition is scheduled to remain in Dundee for more than three months before travelling on to venues in England. Its arrival gives visitors the opportunity to see personal belongings and working materials that are rarely available to the public, with a number of the objects being displayed publicly for the first time.
“David Bowie: On Tour”
Among the items are stage costumes, musical instruments, photographs, sketches prepared for music videos and live performances, handwritten song lyrics and possessions Bowie retained over several decades. Together, the objects provide an account not only of his public image, but also of the materials and references connected with his work away from the stage.
From a first instrument to the Ziggy Stardust era
One of the most personal exhibits is a Grafton alto saxophone, identified as Bowie’s first musical instrument. It was given to him by his father, Haywood Stenton “John” Jones, in 1961. The instrument places an early point in the musician’s development within an exhibition otherwise strongly associated with his later transformations and international career.
The show also gives prominent space to Ziggy Stardust, Bowie’s alien rock-star alter ego from the early 1970s. Visitors can see two costumes from that period, alongside handwritten notes in which Bowie developed ideas for the concept album and its accompanying tour. A Ziggy Stardust-era acoustic guitar is also included in the display.
| Exhibition material | What is shown |
|---|---|
| Early musical history | Bowie’s first saxophone, presented as a gift from his father |
| Ziggy Stardust | Period costumes, an acoustic guitar and handwritten planning notes |
| Personal archive | A passport, a songwriting stopwatch and other kept possessions |
| Creative work | Lyrics, photographs, sketches and material linked to live shows and music videos |
Objects spanning Bowie’s wider interests
The selection extends beyond clothing and instruments. It includes a passport, a stopwatch Bowie used while writing songs and an advance copy of the Velvet Underground track I’m Waiting for the Man. These objects sit alongside rare photographs and visual sketches, showing the breadth of the archive assembled for the exhibition.
The V&A Dundee display also reflects the range of disciplines that shaped Bowie’s career. Its focus on theatre, dance, film, photography and art places the singer’s music within a wider creative world, rather than presenting the exhibition solely as a collection of recordings or stage memorabilia. That approach is reflected in the variety of items brought together for the Scottish presentation.
For Dundee, the exhibition forms part of the V&A’s programme of high-profile displays and gives the city a temporary home for material that will later continue its tour in England. Its limited run means that the Dundee presentation is a defined stage in the exhibition’s wider journey, while the inclusion of objects never previously shown publicly adds to the significance of its time in Scotland.
- More than 100 objects from Bowie’s personal collection are included.
- The exhibition will remain at V&A Dundee for over three months.
- Several items are being shown publicly for the first time.
- The collection includes Bowie’s first saxophone and material from the Ziggy Stardust period.
