One of Britain’s most influential acts is getting the Big Apple treatment.
A treasure trove of rare photographs, handwritten lyrics and other intimate artifacts from the archives of Ian Curtis – the tragic late front man for seminal ‘70s post-punk band Joy Division – will be displayed in New York City for the first time.
Dubbed “Ian Curtis: Insight,” the traveling exhibition will be on display at the Voltz Clarke Gallery on the Lower East Side starting June 25 — and will even feature Curtis’ handwritten lyrics for the iconic tune “Love Will Tear Us Apart.”
“Joy Division singer, Ian Curtis, is a seminal figure in the history of UK popular culture,” said Mat Bancroft, curator of the British Pop Archive at the John Rylands Library.
“A lyricist and performer of great emotion and energy, who for many – defined post-punk,” Bancroft added. “His personal archive contains handwritten lyrics, his personal record and book collections, fan letters and ephemera.”
The exhibit, curated from one the University of Manchester’s special collections, will be on display through July 22.
The display comes just months before Joy Division and successor band New Order — created by remaining members after Curtis died by suicide in 1980 — are set to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in November.
“Joy Division and New Order were postpunk pioneers and electronic dance-floor innovators, inspiring thousands of bands and becoming a beacon for millions of listeners,” the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame website states.
“They were innovative musicians who created something revolutionary and massively influential – not once, but twice.”
“The Ian Curtis archive is of national significance, and Joy Division are one of the UK’s most important and iconic bands,” said Professor Christopher Pressler, director of the John Rylands Library.
“The exhibition in New York forms part of a series, showcasing the archive and promoting the University’s ‘From Manchester for the world’ strategy.”
