The Clash's Mick Jones opens rock & roll library

Mick Jones, guitarist and songwriter with The Clash and producer of The Libertines, today opens his own 'rock & roll library'.

Jones has been collecting music and culture paraphernalia for most of his 53 years. The collection includes books, magazines, videos, stage clothes, instruments, flight cases, records, amplifiers and recording gear, posters, original song lyrics and much more.

Rarities include rare David Bowie tapes and hand-written poems by Allen Ginsberg.

Jones says: "Since the millennium I've been on a mission. The world didn't end so I thought it was time to share [the collection] with others. On one level it's a way of finding out if all this stuff from the 20th century means anything in the new century.

"It means something to me. A lot of my life is tied up in this. But does it mean anything to others?"

The collection includes a gold disc for the debut Clash's debut album.

Jones says: "There's a funny story connected to this. I didn't know you could play a gold disc, but we put it on and it was an album by Abba.

"They [the record company] just sprayed it gold, put a label on it, and recycled it."

You can visit the exhibition in Chelsea, London, from 18 March.

Here are some pictures: