Ian Curtis archive exhibition lands in New York with handwritten Joy Division lyrics

An exhibition of Ian Curtis material will open in New York this summer, bringing handwritten Joy Division lyrics and other archive items to the United States for the first time. Ian Curtis: Insight runs at the Voltz Clarke Gallery from June 25 to July 22.

The show features items drawn from the John Rylands Library at The University of Manchester, where Curtis’s archive is held as part of the British Pop Archive. On display will be an “intimate and revealing” selection of handwritten lyrics, photographs, personal letters, ephemera and artefacts.

Handwritten lyric to Love Will Tear Us Apart by Joy Division, Ian Curtis, c 1979. CREDIT: The University of Manchester

Archive on loan from Manchester

Organisers say many of the pieces have never left the UK. The move to New York comes 46 years after Curtiss death and is intended to bring the archive to a wider audience.

“This exhibition is part of The University of Manchesters remit to share our Special Collections globally,” said Professor Christopher Pressler, University Librarian and Director of The John Rylands Library.

“The Ian Curtis archive is of national significance, and Joy Division are one of the UKs most important and iconic bands,” he added. “The exhibition in New York forms part of a series, showcasing the archive and promoting the Universitys ‘From Manchester for the Worlds strategy.'”

Shimmy flyer, Jon Savage, 1979. CREDIT: The University of Manchester

“We are delighted to work with the University of Manchester to showcase the archive materials of Ian Curtis, debuting in the USA for the first time,” said a spokesperson for the Voltz Clark Gallery. “With 50 per cent of Voltz Clarke Gallerys ownership British, the gallery has always invested extra time with artists from the UK and is honoured to collaborate on a project with such history and importance.”

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Context and legacy

Curtis and his bandmates first formed the group in Salford in 1976 as Warsaw. They adopted the name Joy Division in early 1978. Curtis died in May 1980 after a battle with depression and epilepsy.

Handwritten lyric to Shes Lost Control. CREDIT: The University of Manchester

After Curtiss death Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook and Stephen Morris formed New Order. The surviving members have continued to mark Curtiss legacy. In 2022 Sumner and Morris appeared in Parliament to discuss mental health and suicide prevention. Last year they launched a Blue Monday shirt with proceeds going to the mental health charity MIND.

Both Joy Division and New Order will enter the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame as a single act during a ceremony in Los Angeles in November, following previous nominations in 2023 and 2025. Last month Peter Hook dedicated the honour to Curtis, saying “without [him], we would be nothing.”