This year will mark the 40th anniversary of The Clash’s London Calling and the Museum of London is set to celebrate it with a brand new exhibition that aims to give “new insight into their recording process and the making of London Calling.”
The exhibition titled The Clash: London Calling will feature more than 100 personal items from the band’s archive. A new 120-page book titled London Calling Scrapbook, featuring hand-written lyrics, notes, photos and previously unseen material from when the album was made will also be released.
“London Calling is The Clash’s defining album, a rallying call for Londoners and people around the world,” said Beatrice Behlen, senior curator of fashion and decorative arts at the Museum of London. “The album’s lyrics reflected contemporary concerns, many of which are still relevant today, as it moved away from traditional punk by adopting and reworking much wider musical influences. At the Museum of London, we tell the stories of our capital through the objects and memories of the people who have lived here. This display will provide a brand new, exciting and vibrant take on this, showcasing rarely seen personal objects and telling the incredible story of how London Calling was, and for many still is, the sound of a generation.”
The exhibition opens November 15.
