Experience the legacy of The King of Rock and Roll on a journey filled with magic, music and mystery.
Whether you have a closet full of Elvis T-shirts or you just enjoy listening to his Christmas album every winter, the new Elvis exhibition at the Arches London Bridge is definitely not to be missed.
Direct from Graceland: Elvis is, exactly as the title suggests, a rare opportunity to dive into the legacy of “The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll” and get a close look at some incredibly unique items, which have travelled all the way to London directly from the Graceland archives in Memphis, Tennessee.
Born in Tupelo, Mississippi in 1935 to working class parents, Elvis Presley’s rags to riches story remains, to this day, one of the most fascinating career trajectories in history. While passionate artist fanbases certainly existed before Elvis’s ascension to the throne as “The King of Rock‘n’Roll”, Elvis Presley’s popularity and the “Elvismania” phenomenon transcended traditional boundaries and reached a global audience, setting a new standard for celebrity worship and fan culture. Having sold over 600 million units and having starred in 31 feature films, Elvis Presley is one of the best-selling, most popular artists of all time. The Direct From Graceland: Elvis exhibition takes us back in time and tells the origin stories of Elvis Presley, the person, and Elvis Presley, the persona.
The exhibition contains over 400 beautifully curated artefacts, from Elvis’s first employment application form to the actual keys to his Graceland manor, clothes, jewellery and so much more. Walking through the exhibition and looking at all these special items, you can’t help but feel like you’re witnessing history. Every item is so intrinsically tied to Elvis’s legacy that it almost feels like walking among living things. The most fascinating aspect of the exhibition are the highlighted differences between Elvis’s private and public personas, which amplifies this sense of mystery and intrigue and generates even more questions about who this person really was when the stage lights went down.
The highlight of the evening was by far the curator talk with Angie Marchese, VP of Artefacts and Exhibits at Graceland, who flew in all the way from Memphis to shed some light on the life and legacy of Elvis Presley and who presented us with some truly fascinating items, including Elvis’ TCB ring, his custom-made leather Elvis guitar case, and his Grammy award to name a few. Using cotton gloves to protect the artefacts, guests were able to hold and examine the artifacts up close. The most special part of the talk however were Angie’s stories from her 35-year-long tenure at Graceland, which breathed new life into every item and transformed them from inanimate objects to pieces of history. Like children around a campfire, we found ourselves wishing we could listen to her stories all night long.
Initially set to close in April 2024, Direct From Graceland: Elvis has now been extended to September 2024, due to popular demand. The entire exhibition is hosted on the ground floor of the Arches London Bridge, making it fully accessible to all members of the public. Despite the controversy often surrounding his persona, Elvis’s music has stood the test of time, with his record sales, movie career and unparalleled fanbase solidifying his status as a true legend that will forever resonate through the ages.