At home with Jimi Hendrix: art nouveau, Ena Sharples and John Lewis curtains (Guardian)
The Observers lifelong Hendrix fan gets an exclusive sneak preview of the permanent exhibition in the guitarists London home
Sunday 24 January 2016 00.05 GMT
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Handel and Hendrix in the same building Messiah to Machine Gun two centuries apart: its one of the great stories in music. For years now, the Handel half of the premises in Brook Street, London W1, has been a museum and recital space. And from next month the third floor, occupied by Hendrix in 1969, will be opened for the first time as a permanent exhibit not a museum so much as a historic home, insists the director of the Handel & Hendrix in London project, Michelle Aland.
The Observer was granted an exclusive preview of the work in progress wonderful work, done with thoroughgoing care and manifest love by Alands team in conjunction with Etchingham and others from Hendrixs inner circle. I declare my interest to them: a devoted fan born in the street on which Hendrix died 18 days after Id seen him play at the Isle of Wight festival in 1970.
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On the floor by the bed, a BOAC airline bag containing Hendrixs guitar repair kit, a period TV and a pair of specially made replica Chelsea boots. On a low bedside table: an ashtray and lamp, all reproduced as per the photos. Also a half-bottle of Mateus Rosé they drank that there are pictures of him swigging from the bottle and whisky, says Aland. Atop a glass-fronted Victorian cupboard stands an art nouveau Grecian statue, probably Aphrodite, and a spherical papier-maché lamp in bright colours there are colours everywhere, many of them reflecting his Native American blood, posits Aland.
Etchingham recalls shopping for furniture with Hendrix in Portobello Road, and an antique oak chair is a specially made duplicate. And above all, two large Lowther speakers rise from the floor, and in a box ready for installation, a vintage Bang and Olufsen turntable for the music, which included records by Handel which Hendrix bought when he learned about his predecessor.
cont'd...
Link:
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/jan/24/at-home-with-jimi-hendrix-guitars-art-nouveau-john-lewis-curtains
Neat article.