Just imagine -- guitars, handwritten lyrics and personal clothing once owned by George Harrison are now available for public viewing at a new exhibit, George Harrison: Living in the Material World, which opened today. Intended as a companion or extension of the corresponding HBO documentary by Martin Scorsese, this new exhibit at the GRAMMY Museum assembles an abundance of rock and roll gems that will put a sparkle in the eyes of any Beatles fan.
See photos from the George Harrison: Living in the Material World exhibit
Reminiscent of the John Lennon: His Life and Work exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2000-2003) which contained an abundance of personal items owned by John Lennon, George Harrison: Living in the Material World contains 60-70 artifacts, many never seen before, direct from Harrison's Friar Park estate in England. GRAMMY Museum Director, Bob Santelli, explained: "You'll see things that have never been outside Friar Park-- guitars, lyrics, instruments-- one-of-a-kind stuff."
While this exhibit, housed on the second floor of The GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles, offers a full overview of Harrison's career spanning four decades, the section on the Beatles years alone is worth the price of admission. On loan from The Estate of George Harrison are some of the most famous guitars used during The Beatles years including Harrison's Rickenbacker 12-string guitar, the Gibson he played in A Hard Day's Night, and "Rocky", the Fender Stratocaster hand-painted in a psychedelic design by George.
Personal items from George Harrison's youth on display include his passport, childhood sketchbook drawings, a leather jacket worn during the Hamburg days, and a postcard sent to his dad in 1963 during his first visit to the U.S. (Yes, Harrison was the only Beatle to visit the States before the legendary Ed Sullivan/New York visit in 1964.)
Many famous Beatles outfits are also part of the exhibit including Harrison's Shea Stadium jacket, his white pin-striped suit worn on the Beatles 1966 tour, a beige courudory outfit and boots worn in the movie, Help! and the orange floral jacket Harrison wore on the global broadcast of "Our World" in 1967.
Handwritten lyrics to Harrison's most famous songs are on display including the lyrics for "Here Comes The Sun", "Something", "All Things Must Pass" and "Only A Northern Song". A personal diary that Harrison kept in 1967 is also on display.
And let's not forget the displays representing Harrison's post-Beatles years including items from The Concert for Bangladesh, The Traveling Wilburys, and the Concert for George tribute.
Luckily for his fans, the "non-material" Beatle left many material items behind which played an important part in rock and roll history. George Harrison: Living in the Material World runs through February 12, 2012.
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