\u201cHe didn\u2019t get to tour a lot of the places he wanted to go, and Australia was one of them. I think he\u2019d be excited for all of you to share his life and the things that he did, the clothes that he wore\u2026 and all the things that meant something to him,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was a very giving person, not materialistic, had beautiful things for people to come and enjoy [and] look at.\u201d<\/p>\n
Priscilla has been instrumental in establishing Elvis\u2019 residence Graceland as the second most visited historic home in the US after the White House, welcoming some 20 million people in four decades.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I walked around [the Bendigo Art Gallery exhibition] I got a little teary eyed actually because this is everything he wanted, to be able to share, to be able to be remembered and it\u2019s a dream come true for me to be a part of that,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is very sentimental to me, it\u2019s very difficult.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur old museum, as we call it, there\u2019s so many things there that really touch me. Do I get emotional? Yeah, I do because he was a truly special human being. There is no one who can match Elvis Presley.\u201d<\/p>\n
The exhibition showcases some 300 items from the over 1.5 million-strong Graceland archives.<\/p>\n
Many possessions like clothes, furniture and documents were kept in storage by Elvis\u2019 father Vernon who, after living in poverty through the Great Depression, feared the fame and fortune amassed by his son might one day come to an end and wanted his family to be prepared.<\/p>\n Vice president of archives and exhibitions at Elvis Presley Enterprises, Angie Marchese, said it was \u201cabsolutely amazing\u201d to fulfill Aussie Elvis fans\u2019 dreams to see the king touch down in the country after being approached by the Bendigo Art Gallery three years ago.<\/p>\n \u201cFirst of all, I was like \u2018Bendigo? Where\u2019s Bendigo?\u2019. So, I started doing some research and I was so impressed with the exhibits and the work that they\u2019re doing here, from Marylin Monroe to Grace Kelly to the Edith Head exhibit, all of it is top notch. It seemed like the perfect partnership to bring Elvis to Australia,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n While the exhibition features \u201cwow-factor\u201d pieces like Elvis\u2019 1960 MG convertible from his musical film Blue Hawaii<\/em>, Ms Marchese said it also includes more intimate items not to be overlooked.<\/p>\n \u201cMy favourite item is actually Elvis\u2019 wallet and that\u2019s because it\u2019s so personal. If you were able to go through it, you would see a picture of him and Lisa,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cI can just imagine someone asking him about his daughter and him going \u2018oh, you wanna see a picture of her?\u2019, or there\u2019s a movie ticket stub in there.<\/p>\n \u201cIt personalises him and makes him one of us.\u201d<\/p>\n Gallery director Jessica Bridgfoot said curators were determined to secure particular items for a showstopping event that would aid the region\u2019s COVID-19 recovery, including the tuxedo and dress worn by Elvis and Priscilla for their wedding in 1967.<\/p>\n \u201cTo be able to open up an exhibition like this just as the world is opening up is really a remarkable feeling,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve already been rewarded for our efforts with the opening weekend being sold out [and] ticket sales are going really strong.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re expecting it to be quite a significant amount of people [attending] and for it to be a big part of the recovery and economic stimulus for Bendigo.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know that shows like this can generate up to $16 million in spending so it\u2019s really important for us to play our part in the recovery, and what a wonderful way to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" ELVIS Presley may have feared being forgotten after his death, but forty-five years on, fans new and old have flocked to the Bendigo Art Gallery to get a glimpse of all the glitz and glamour that remains of the rock n roll king. At the opening of the Elvis: Direct from Graceland exhibition last week, […]<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/24\/2022\/03\/PDW_5342-300x184.jpg\")