Bruce Springsteen, The Exhibit: Born To Run

There are few artists as beloved and as synonymous with the concept of Americana as Bruce Springsteen.  I would bet that you could ask almost anyone, and they could tell you a memory that involves a Bruce Springsteen song. I wouldn’t call myself a huge Springsteen fan (in terms of music) but if there was a soundtrack to my childhood he would definitely be on it. My dad had every single one of his albums, including an extensive collection of rare tracks and cassettes, and the song “Jersey Girl” will always have a special place in my heart. That’s the thing about Bruce Springsteen – there is no denying that his story is inspiring, and has touched so many people. We can all identify with the feeling of wanting to get out, to experience something bigger than ourselves. I have always loved the meaning behind the simple phrase “born to run” because really, aren’t we all?

The fact that we even have a trend on our website right now inspired by this concept just goes to show his influence on American culture. Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center is hosting an exhibit about Bruce Springsteen, so I figured it was the perfect time to go check it out. The exhibit, which will run through September 3rd, tells the story of Springsteen’s musical career, beginning in New Jersey as a young man with a dream to reaching the “promised land” of musical success. It contains an extensive collection of personal notebooks containing handwritten lyrics, concert memorabilia spanning his career, clothing – including the iconic outfit he wore on the cover of Born in the USA and leather jacket from the Born to Run cover, guitars and more. I think the guitars were my favorite part – old, nicked and scraped, full of character and full of stories from a legendary career.

“Everything dies baby that’s a fact But maybe everything that dies someday comes back Put your makeup on fix your hair up pretty and meet me tonight in Atlantic City.”

This was actually my first time visiting the National Constitution Center – it’s a really cool space, full of light and I loved the flags hanging around the ceiling.

The car Springsteen purchased after the success of “Born to Run,” is the only object in the exhibit I was allowed to photograph.

An old photo of a young Bruce Springsteen…

…and a shot from our “Born to Run” lookbook featuring Camille Rowe – view the full June Lookbook!

Another part of the Bruce Springsteen exhibit that I loved was at the end, they had a table with post-it notes and pens, for people to write down their favorite Bruce song and add it to the wall. It was really cool seeing what songs resonated most with people. I think my favorite is “Atlantic City.” What is your favorite Bruce song??