Receipts, letters, and personal documents belonging to the late rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix are on public display for the first time in over five decades at his former London residence, a Georgian house known as Handel Hendrix House in Mayfair. The property, which also once housed 18th-century composer George Frideric Handel, now hosts a permanent exhibition showcasing everyday items that reveal a lesser-known, routine side of the legendary musician’s life.

The collection was preserved by Patricia “Trixie” Sullivan, Hendrix’s personal assistant during the late 1960s. Trixie, now 83 and living with dementia in a nursing home, rescued the artifacts after bailiffs raided the office of Hendrix’s manager, Michael Jeffrey, who died in a plane crash in 1973. The paperwork was left behind and gathered by Trixie, then safeguarded in storage trunks at her grandson Jonathan Garcia’s home before being exhibited publicly.

Garcia, 29, described his grandmother as the steady force supporting Hendrix’s career, noting her role in organizing studio bookings, contracts, travel arrangements, and even legally formalizing the artist’s 1969 Royal Albert Hall concert. According to Garcia, Trixie was effectively Hendrix’s manager on the road, performing many tasks alone amid the chaos of touring life.

The items on display include food receipts, flight itineraries, phone bills, dry cleaning invoices, contracts, and personal letters. Among these are bills from Mr Love, a restaurant located beneath Hendrix’s flat, where he regularly ordered hamburgers, steaks, and other American-style dishes. Hendrix reportedly criticized English cuisine, humorously remarking on the ubiquity of mashed potatoes.

Visitors to the exhibition can gain insight into Hendrix’s off-stage routine as well as the logistical complexities behind his musical career with The Jimi Hendrix Experience. The documents also reveal moments from his tours, including reports of crowd disturbances and financial details like phone expenses amounting to tens of thousands of pounds.

While Trixie Sullivan was known to speak little and become emotional when discussing Hendrix, she shared occasional firsthand anecdotes that provide a unique perspective on the star. Garcia recounted how she described Hendrix as introverted and self-doubting, yet passionate about his music and frequently playing guitar at his Brook Street home. Trixie’s presence was described as a stabilizing, almost maternal influence on the musician, whom she accompanied on global tours.

Following Hendrix’s death in 1970 at age 27, reportedly from an accidental overdosing on sleeping tablets, and Jeffrey’s subsequent death in 1973, Trixie’s connection to the artist took on a more poignant significance. Last year, some of Hendrix’s belongings were auctioned to raise funds for her care, highlighting the lasting bond between the musician and his longtime assistant.

The exhibition opens at Handel Hendrix House, 23 Brook Street, London, and aims to offer fans and historians an intimate glimpse into the daily life of a cultural icon beyond his groundbreaking performances and innovations in rock music.