Treasures of Manc music centre stage
UNSEEN ITEMS FROM FACTORY RECORDS ARCHIVE FEATURE IN MUSEUM EXHIBITION
UNSEEN treasures from the Factory Records archive are to go on show at an exhibition celebrating the legendary label.
Use Hearing Protection opens at Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum this summer, telling the story of the company’s formative years from 1978 to 1982.
Founded by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus, the innovative and influential label was instrumental in the reshaping of the city from an industrial powerhouse to a beacon of art and culture.
The exhibition will take visitors on a journey through the label’s early work, via a display of the first 50 numbered Factory artefacts. These include creations from Joy Division, New Order and The Durutti Column, as well as graphic designer Peter Saville, whose visuals are synonymous with the label.
Music journalist Jon Savage, recognised as a leading voice on the history of Joy Division, acted as consultant curator on the exhibition.
The museum recently acquired his personal collection of artefacts relating to the band, a number of which will be on display alongside objects loaned from the estates of Wilson and former Joy Division and New Order manager Rob Gretton.
Lead curator Jan Hicks said: “This is a story that the Science and Industry Museum is uniquely placed to tell. Factory Records was hugely influenced by Manchester’s industrial heritage, which we sit at the heart of.
“It was also progressive in its use of digital and electronic technologies, which are again core focuses of the stories we tell here at the museum.
“We are committed to expanding our collection of Factory-related material and acquiring Jon Savage’s Joy Division archive has allowed us to grow this substantially. It will be a fantastic addition to the exhibition, which is a must-see for anyone who has an interest in the unique culture of our city.”
Previously unseen items that will feature in the exhibition include a letter from Rob Gretton to Wilson, thanking him for supporting Joy Division on his Granada Reports music segment. The band made their TV debut on his What’s On section on September 20, 1978.
Use Hearing Protection runs from July 3 to January 10, 2021. Tickets are on sale now from scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk/whats-on/use-hearingprotection.