Some news that makes us wish that we lived closer to Seattle: Experience Music Project has just opened Nirvana: Taking Punk to the Masses, a major exhibition of photos and 225 artifacts from the band’s short history that includes high school artwork by Kurt Cobain, old show flyers, and several smashed guitars. “We made a great effort to show these items in context,” EMI curator Jacob McMurray, who has been working on the show for the past two years, told the Seattle Times . “We didn’t want these things to exist as sterile items in a case.” Click through to check out a slideshow of highlights from the exhibit.
Kurt Cobain, A New American Gothic, 1984. Photo by Experience Music Project
Cobain’s black Fender stratocaster, smashed during the recording of “Endless, Nameless.” Photo by Experience Music Project
The band’s first flyer as “Nirvana.” Previous names included Skid Row, Ted Ed Fred, and Pen Cap. Photo by Experience Music Project
A letter written on April 16, 1986, by The Melvins’ Buzz Osborne to Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic. Photo by Experience Music Project
The first guitar that Cobain ever smashed. It happened at a college dorm party gig on Halloween back in 1988. Photo by Experience Music Project
Nirvana’s contract with Sub Pop records, signed shortly before the release of Bleach. Photo by Experience Music Project
A comp of the Nevermind album cover that was sent to the band by DGC’s art director. Photo by Experience Music Project
The sweater Cobain wore in the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video. Photo by Experience Music Project
Nirvana’s VMA for “Best Alternative Music Video.” Be sure to check out that song title… Photo by Experience Music Project
Nirvana with Shelli Hyrkas, a photographer once married to Krist Novoselic, at Seattle’s Re-Bar in 1991. Photo courtesy of Shelli Hyrkas
Cobain at Raji’s nightclub in Hollywood in 1990. Photo by Charles Peterson
Dave Grohl, Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic boarding an airplane in Australia in 1992. Photo courtesy of Shelli Hyrkas
Nirvana’s first demo recording, hand-lettered by recording engineer Jack Endino. Recorded at Seattle’s Reciprocal Studios in 1988. Photo by Experience Music Project
Sweater worn by Cobain on the cover of SPIN magazine in 1993. Photo by Experience Music Project