V&A Dundee unveils never‑seen David Bowie artifacts in new exhibition

The V&A Dundee has opened “David Bowie: On Tour”, an exhibition that brings together roughly 100 objects selected from the David Bowie Centre’s collection of about 90,000 items. The museum acquired the archive from the V&A in London in 2023, and the show marks the first time many of these pieces have been available to the public.

Among the displayed items are Bowie’s first saxophone, a gift from his father in 1961, a stopwatch he used while songwriting, his 1988 passport and an advance copy of The Velvet Underground’s 1967 record “I’m Waiting for the Man”. A letter of complaint from London neighbours addressed to a “Mr Bowy” in December 1973 is also on view, illustrating the artist’s impact on his surroundings.

The exhibition also features rare Polaroid photographs of a costume‑fitting test for the 1986 film Labyrinth, as well as other personal documents that trace Bowie’s evolution from his early career in Scotland to his status as a global music icon. Leonie Bell, director of the V&A Dundee, said the display offers visitors a chance to encounter intimate objects that reveal how Bowie thought, worked and continually reinvented himself.

Bowie’s first performance in Scotland under his new stage name took place at the Palais de Dans in 1966, an event referenced in the exhibition’s narrative. Curators worked with the artist’s estate to organise the archive, ensuring that the items are presented in a context that reflects both his artistic legacy and his personal history.