'From Holland with Peace' Marks 40th Anniversary of John and Yoko's 'Bed-in'

Drove from Paris to the Amsterdam Hilton,
Talking in our beds for a week.
The newspaper said, 'Say what you doing in bed?'
I said, 'We're only trying to get us some peace.'

So go the lyrics of The Beatles' song "The Ballad of John and Yoko." The lines refer to a peaceful stunt that John Lennon and wife Yoko Ono pulled while on their honeymoon in Amsterdam, in March 1969 (read more about John and Yoko's now famous "Bed-in").

To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the event, an organization called "From Holland with Peace" will host several exhibitions at the Amsterdam Hilton between March 21 and 29, which will include never before seen photos of the couple, as well the largest ever exhibition of Lennon's own artwork.

From Holland with Peace: Events at the Amsterdam Hilton
All events run from March 21 to 29 and are free, unless otherwise noted
The Amsterdam Hilton is located at Apollolaan 138, south of the city center

• Imagine: The Art of John Lennon -- March 20 - 22 only
  The largest ever exhibition of Lennon's art (190 works, of which nearly 30 have never been shown in Europe), including the hand-written text for "Give Peace A Chance" and a collection of handwritten documents and sketches produced by John and Yoko during their stay at the Hilton in 1969.
• What Happened in Room 702?
  40 images from John and Yoko's Bed-in for Peace, shot by several professional Dutch* and German photographers.
• Message by Photo: 1969–2009
  40 images depicting peace, shot between 1969 and 2009 by Dutch photographers.
• People Like U & Me 4 Peace
  40 peace-themed images contributed by the public.
• Tribute to Lennon -- March 29, 2 - 6 p.m., € 15
  Tribute to the music of John Lennon, performed by Dutch cover bands.

*Beginning March 8, one of the many Dutch photographers who shot the couple in their pajamas that week in 1969, Nico Koster, will also display his image collection at the Nico Koster - Galerie Moderne, Nieuwe Spiegelstraat 44.

^{Photo above © Nico Koster}