A legendary collection of some of the world’s finest guitars—kept hidden from public view for decades—has been officially donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This landmark gift will serve as the foundation for a new permanent gallery dedicated to the guitar’s profound influence on popular music.
According to The New Yorker, the collection consists of 500 guitars from what is considered the golden age of American guitar-making, spanning the years 1920 to 1970. These instruments, many of which played pivotal roles in shaping musical history, were assembled quietly over decades and have only now been revealed.
The mastermind behind this extraordinary archive is Dirk Ziff, a financier, publishing heir, and passionate guitarist who has performed and toured with Carly Simon. Since 1987, Ziff has worked closely with vintage guitar expert Perry Margouleff to gather this trove of rare and historically significant instruments—rivaling even high-profile collections like that of Jim Irsay.
The Met’s curator of musical instruments, Jayson Dobney, first caught wind of the collection in 2011 when Margouleff offered him a discreet preview of just eight guitars. At the time, the full scope of the collection remained a closely guarded secret. Dobney later met Ziff in 2019 during the Met’s popular Play It Loud exhibit. The exhibit’s massive success helped convince Ziff to finally make his private collection public.
Set to debut in Spring 2027, the collection includes some of the most iconic guitars in music history. Highlights include Leo Fender’s first guitar from 1948, Les Paul’s experimental 1941 Epiphone “Klunker,” and the 1959 Gibson Les Paul “Burst” played by Keith Richards during The Rolling Stones’ historic 1964 appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.
Also included are rare acoustic masterpieces, such as Roy Rogers’ cherished 1930 Martin OM-45 and a Martin guitar believed to have been displayed at the 1853 Crystal Palace Exhibition. The collection also features Gretsch’s 1955 prototype of Chet Atkins’ signature model, Neil Young’s 1958 Korina Gibson Flying V, Paul Bigsby’s second solid-body guitar from 1948, and the first production Gibson L-5 archtop from 1924—personally signed by its designer, Lloyd Loar.
Reflecting on the enduring design of the L-5, Margouleff told The New Yorker: “If you looked at an automobile in 1924 and then looked at one today, it would be completely unrecognizable… If you went to a music store today and bought a new Gibson L-5, it might look identical to this one. They had it right from day one.”
Max Hollein, CEO of The Met, praised the donation as a transformative moment for the museum. “This is truly a trailblazing and transformative gift, positioning the Museum to be the epicenter for the appreciation and study of the American guitar,” he said. “These guitars are examples of outstanding artistry and craftsmanship as well as visually powerful tools of expression and distinction.”
Dirk Ziff described the donation as the culmination of a vision he and Margouleff have pursued for nearly four decades. “Our objective has been to assemble a comprehensive collection of American guitars, many of them historic and culturally significant, and preserve them for the benefit of future generations,” Ziff stated. “It is genuinely thrilling to see our vision validated at the greatest cultural institution in the world.”
Guitar legend Jimmy Page, who collaborated with the Met during the Play It Loud exhibit, also shared his admiration for the project. “To know that there is so much passion behind this project is thrilling,” Page remarked. “I would like to take my hat off to the people who have been behind this—and to The Met for its dedication to construct something that is going to be of such great importance for generations to come.”
With this remarkable donation, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is set to become a global destination for guitar lovers, music historians, and cultural scholars alike—ensuring that these storied instruments will be preserved and celebrated for years to come.
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