Elvis Presley: The Surprising Reason Behind Graceland’s One-Way Mirrors
When Elvis Presley purchased his Graceland home in the Spring of 1957, the building was already 18 years old. Therefore, Presley wanted to utilize designs and colors reminiscent of the late 1950s to spruce it up. Several fundamental changes were made, including one very controversial addition, one-way mirrors. Why did Presley add this odd touch to his family home? The historic home‘s archivist reveals the details.
Graceland archivist reveals the surprising reason Elvis Presley installed one-way mirrors
Angie Marchese, Graceland’s archivist, shared a behind-the-scenes tour of the stately Memphis, TN, home in 2020. Throughout an online tour, she noted several fundamental changes the Presley family made throughout the abode.
While the downstairs areas were for family and friends to enjoy, upstairs was an entirely different story. That was Presley’s private domain and a place he used to recharge. It included his bedroom, an office, and a bathroom. Also upstairs were two more bedrooms, one used by his grandmother Minnie Mae and later, daughter Lisa Marie Presley.
The upstairs area has been deemed off-limits to fans to preserve Elvis’ most private space and the bathroom where he died. However, Marchese did take fans to the top of the stairs to show off one unique addition to the home.
“One question that we always get a lot of is about the upstairs, and something you might notice is this privacy wall right here,” Marchese said of a wall located to the right of the landing.
“He really had an open-door policy that anyone he was friends with could use Graceland and have people come to Graceland. “So, to ensure privacy upstairs, he had this wall added, and those mirrors you see are actually one-way mirrors where he could see out, but no one could see in,” she explained.
Why would Elvis Presley add one-way mirrors at Graceland?
One-way mirrors allow light to pass through from one side while reflecting it back on the other. This creates a mirror-like appearance on one side and a see-through effect on the other.
Presley was reportedly very private, so he kept the upstairs suite for his own personal use. Immediate family members were the only people with access to the area.
However, the property underwent renovations and modifications over the years to accommodate Elvis’s tastes and preferences. Therefore, the addition of one-way privacy mirrors was just one addition the king of rock and roll added to personalize the home.
Graceland allows visitors to explore the rooms as they were during Elvis’s lifetime, gaining insight into his lifestyle and personal space. However, a velvet rope secures the stairs leading upstairs from the rest of the tour. Fans can look upward toward Presley’s private suite but only see the mirrors, a series of curtains, and privacy walls.
Elvis Presley’s upstairs rooms were private when he lived at Graceland; the family requests they remain that way today
In a statement published by Express, Angie Marchese explained why fans cannot tour the upstairs areas of Graceland. It trickles down from when the king of rock and roll initially lived in the home.
She said: “The upstairs at Graceland, even when Elvis was here, was always a very private part of the home. Even Elvis’ closest friends and family didn’t go upstairs unless personally invited.”
“And when we opened up for tours in 1982, the family requested that we keep the upstairs private. We still honor that request and keep it private today,” Marchese stated.
She previously shared that Presley’s bedroom, office, and bathroom remain in the same condition they were left on Aug. 16, 1977, the day the entertainer died in his bathroom.
The archivist explained, “The bedroom looks like he (Elvis) just got up one day and left. The bed is made, and all his items are still in place except his clothes which are in archives.”
On the record player is vinyl made by Elvis’ backing singers, JD Sumner, and the Stamps. On the shelf is a styrofoam cup.
Elements of this story were first reported by Express.
