digital illustration of a bridge
A Banner Year for the

Springsteen Archives

The Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music at Monmouth University announced a new permanent exhibition space and launched a national touring exhibit of its artifacts.
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he Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music at Monmouth University launched a new collaboration with the Borough of Freehold, New Jersey, to create a permanent exhibition space that will celebrate the early life and story of the borough’s most famous son, Bruce Springsteen. The partnership was announced in March at a press conference that the Boss himself attended.

Kevin Kane, Bruce Springsteen, and Patrick F. Leahy
man wearing headphones and watching a screen at a Bruce Springsteen exhibit
As the official repository for Springsteen’s written works, photographs, periodicals, and artifacts, the Archives will curate and program the new Freehold exhibition, which is anticipated to open in 2025 and include photographs, multimedia displays (voice, film, concert footage, interviews), and interactive displays.

The current Freehold Fire Department building located at 49 W. Main Street will be renovated to accommodate the new exhibition space, which will serve as the “centerpiece” of Freehold’s Center Core Redevelopment Plan, Borough Mayor Kevin Kane said.

“On behalf of the entire council, I can say we are so excited to see this collaboration with the Springsteen Archives move forward,” Kane said.

“The exhibition in Freehold will allow us to provide not only exciting exhibits that tell the story of Springsteen’s early years, but also dynamic educational and public programs with strong ties to the community and area schools,” Archives Director Eileen Chapman said. “This exhibition will be an educational resource for teachers, with pre-tour activities for school groups. In addition, visitors will come from all over the world to see the exhibit.”

“I believe private institutions like Monmouth have an obligation to serve the public by being a force for positive economic, cultural, and social development in our communities,” President Patrick F. Leahy, who serves as chairman of the Archives Board of Directors, said. “This new partnership with Freehold further exemplifies how the University continues to be a valuable resource for the region, which is one of the core objectives of our Strategic Plan.”

Springsteen Artifacts Hit the Road

Last fall, “Bruce Springsteen Live!,” a traveling interactive exhibit featuring a treasure trove of artifacts culled from the Archives at Monmouth, premiered.

Launched in partnership with the Grammy Museum, the exhibit features live performance footage, instruments, stage costumes, exclusive interviews, concert posters, and photos as well as unique, interactive displays that immerse fans in Springsteen and the E Street Band’s creative process, shedding light on how the singer became—and remains—one of the greatest live performers in rock ’n’ roll history.

The exhibit ran from October 2021 to March 2022 at the Grammy Museum Experience Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, before traveling to the Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where it will remain until Sept. 25. After that, the exhibit will head to the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, California.

keyboard, outfit, and a variation of posters and signs in a Bruce Springsteen exhibit
four different sized framed Bruce Springsteen posters on a black wall
guitar, amplifier, snare drum, two jackets, and a hat behind glass in a Bruce Springsteen exhibit

Sharing Springsteen’s History Online

This past year, the Archives also launched a new online series, “Artifact of the Month,” which showcases some of the nearly 35,000 items that are housed at Monmouth.

The series kicked off last September with the sharing of Springsteen’s handwritten lyrics to “All Man the Guns (For America).” Written sometime in the late 1960s during the Vietnam War, the song is about the men who went off to war and promised to return to their girlfriends who vowed to wait for them. In a short video that accompanied the post, Springsteen explained how the featured artifact is likely the oldest copy of his handwritten lyrics available.

Other artifacts that have been showcased in the series include a rare, hand-drawn poster for the Castiles, one of Springsteen’s early bands, and his mother’s scrapbook chronicling his rise from college tours to sold-out stadium concerts. The featured artifacts can be viewed at springsteenarchives.org/artifacts.

About the Archives

The Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music at Monmouth University serves as the official archival repository for Springsteen’s written works, photographs, periodicals, and artifacts. It preserves and promotes the legacy of Springsteen and his role in American music while honoring and celebrating icons of American music like Woody Guthrie, Robert Johnson, Hank Williams, Frank Sinatra, and others. The Archives comprise nearly 35,000 items from 47 countries, ranging from books and concert memorabilia to articles and promotional materials. The collection serves the research and informational needs of music fans, scholars, authors, and others with a serious interest in the life and career of Springsteen.