Beatles Exhibit Opens at Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Cleveland Leader: As a part of its first redesign in its 15-year existence, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio, has opened an exhibit which they say is the world's largest collection of items from The Beatles.

The exhibit was announced on Wednesday, and contains nearly 70 items, including several that are on display for the first time. Visitors can get a peek at Paul McCartney's handwritten arrangement for "Birthday", guitars played by John Lennon and George Harrison, the drum head from the kit Ringo Starr used in February 1964 on "The Ed Sullivan Show", and notable pieces of clothing worn by each of the group members either on tour or on film.

Jim Henke, vice president of exhibitions, said:

‘For many years now, we have been fortunate to have a great relationship with Yoko Ono, which enabled us to have many John Lennon artifacts. This time around, we were able to work with Ringo Starr and with George Harrison’s estate, so they are well-represented in the exhibit. We also worked with some collectors who had other key Beatles pieces, and before we knew it, we had an absolutely incredible collection.”

These items have gone on display as a part of the museum redesign. The redesign includes upgrades to technology and various changes that are aimed at presenting the history of rock and roll in a more chronological order. The redesign is funded in part by the Rock Hall's $35 million capital campaign.

Other upgrades to the facility include a 50-foot red carpet to welcome visitors, giving the Rock Hall a touch of Hollywood, and new interactive kiosks, over-sized images of various inductees, and listening stations. The final upgrades include a new video wall, and are expected to be in place before the Hall of Fame Induction ceremonies in 2012.