Family & Social Life

Bennet Family Record

Donations to the Museum have preserved irreplaceable evidence about generations of ordinary Americans. Objects from the Copp household of Stonington, Connecticut, include many items used by a single family from 1740 to 1850. Other donations have brought treasured family artifacts from jewelry to prom gowns. These gifts and many others are all part of the Museum's family and social life collections.

Children's books and Sunday school lessons, tea sets and family portraits also mark the connections between members of a family and between families and the larger society. Prints, advertisements, and artifacts offer nostalgic or idealized images of family life and society in times past. And the collections include a few modern conveniences that have had profound effects on American families and social life, such as televisions, video games, and personal computers.

Date: 1970s

D.C.; The Crime Stoppers Club

Record from a DC area crime stoppers club. The record is wrapped in a piece of thin white paper and has a white label with blue print around the center. The label on the record features a Crime Stoppers Stamp Out Crime logo with a person stamping on a shadow.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Record from a DC area crime stoppers club. The record is wrapped in a piece of thin white paper and has a white label with blue print around the center. The label on the record features a Crime Stoppers Stamp Out Crime logo with a person stamping on a shadow.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1972
recording artist
Crime Stoppers Club
ID Number
1987.0743.003
accession number
1987.0743
catalog number
1987.0743.003

Disco Lunch Box

This steel lunch box was made by Aladdin Industries in 1978. It has a metal clasp for hinged lid and collapsible orange plastic handle. The box has a maroon background with an orange rim, and pictures of images of couples dancing to disco on all exterior surfaces.
Description (Brief)
This steel lunch box was made by Aladdin Industries in 1978. It has a metal clasp for hinged lid and collapsible orange plastic handle. The box has a maroon background with an orange rim, and pictures of images of couples dancing to disco on all exterior surfaces. This box tries to take advantage of the Disco dance craze popular in American in the late 19070s, which was at its peak in 1978, before the Chicago White Sox’s infamous Disco Demolition Night set off a backlash that made disco decidedly uncool.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1978
maker
Aladdin
ID Number
2003.3070.04.01
nonaccession number
2003.3070
catalog number
2003.3070.04.01

Corsage Thermos

This plastic, tin and glass thermos bottle was made by Thermos in 1973. It has a blue, screw-on plastic cup lid and a beige and red screw-on plastic stopper. The bottle is light blue and has colorful drawings of flowers on the sides.
Description (Brief)
This plastic, tin and glass thermos bottle was made by Thermos in 1973. It has a blue, screw-on plastic cup lid and a beige and red screw-on plastic stopper. The bottle is light blue and has colorful drawings of flowers on the sides. It is the companion bottle to lunch box #2001.3101.01.01.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1973
maker
King Seeley Thermos
ID Number
2001.3101.01.02
nonaccession number
2001.3101
catalog number
2001.3101.01.02

Fans with Carl and Pearl Butler

Carl and Pearl Butler pose for photographs with fans.Currently not on view
Description
Carl and Pearl Butler pose for photographs with fans.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1973
print
2003
Associated Name
Butler, Pearl
Butler, Carl
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.090
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.090

Kung Fu Lunch Box

This metal lunch box was manufactured by Thermos in 1974. The lunch box features imagery from David Carridine’s TV series, Kung Fu which ran from 1972-1975 on ABC.
Description (Brief)
This metal lunch box was manufactured by Thermos in 1974. The lunch box features imagery from David Carridine’s TV series, Kung Fu which ran from 1972-1975 on ABC.
Date made
1974
collected for nmah
Smithsonian Institution
maker
Thermos
ID Number
1988.3160.45
nonaccession number
1988.3160
catalog number
1988.3160.45

What's Expected of Me Now; Bluebird

Flo Lacey. side 1: What's Expected of Me Now; side 2: Bluebird (Krugerrand AUM 101)45 rpmCurrently not on view
Description (Brief)
Flo Lacey. side 1: What's Expected of Me Now; side 2: Bluebird (Krugerrand AUM 101)
45 rpm
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1977
recording artist
Howard, Trustin
Lacey, Flo
maker
Krugerrand Records
ID Number
2000.3053.3225
nonaccession number
2000.3053
catalog number
2000.3053.3225
label number
AUM 101

Miss America Lunch Box

This metal lunch box was manufactured by Aladdin Industries in 1972. The lunch box features imagery based on the annually televised Miss America Pageant.
Description (Brief)
This metal lunch box was manufactured by Aladdin Industries in 1972. The lunch box features imagery based on the annually televised Miss America Pageant. Originally a beauty pageant when it began in 1921, the Miss America Pageant became a “scholarship pageant” over the years, offering its first scholastic financial aid in 1945. The Miss America Pageant is now the world’s largest provider of scholarships for young women, making $45 million dollars available in scholarships on a yearly basis.
Location
Currently on loan
Date made
1972
collected for nmah
Smithsonian Institution
maker
Aladdin
ID Number
1988.3160.63
nonaccession number
1988.3160
catalog number
1988.3160.63

"Hot Nuts" Fred's Lounge, Mamou, Louisiana

Fred's Lounge was a well-known honky-tonk in the heart of Cajun country. The bar opened at 7 a.m. on Saturday mornings to host the droves of visitors who came to hear the local bands that played from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.Currently not on view
Description
Fred's Lounge was a well-known honky-tonk in the heart of Cajun country. The bar opened at 7 a.m. on Saturday mornings to host the droves of visitors who came to hear the local bands that played from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1977
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.039
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.039

Tootsies' Bartender

Bartender Wanda Lohman, known as "Miss Wanda," worked at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge from 1960 to 1984. The walls of Tootsie's became a kind of community scrapbook. Tootsie, like her patrons, was a fan of country music.
Description
Bartender Wanda Lohman, known as "Miss Wanda," worked at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge from 1960 to 1984. The walls of Tootsie's became a kind of community scrapbook. Tootsie, like her patrons, was a fan of country music. She collected autographs, posters, record albums, and photographs. Patrons, family, and friends contributed their comments and added photos.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1974
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.107
catalog number
2003.0169.107
accession number
2003.0169

Rocky and His Friends

Rocky and His Friends was written by Ann McGovern with illustrations by Ben De Nunez and Al White, and published by Golden Press in New York, New York, in 1960, 2nd Printing in 1973.Like many of the other artists that worked on Little Golden Books, Ben De Nunez worked as an anima
Description (Brief)

Rocky and His Friends was written by Ann McGovern with illustrations by Ben De Nunez and Al White, and published by Golden Press in New York, New York, in 1960, 2nd Printing in 1973.

Like many of the other artists that worked on Little Golden Books, Ben De Nunez worked as an animator at Disney Studios from 1955 to 1961. Information on Al White is limited but we do know he worked at Disney at some point and was the “background” illustrator for Little Golden Books from 1959-1964. White’s illustrations for Little Golden Books includes, Top Cat, Ruff and Reddy and Bozo Finds a Friend.

The techniques used to create the 2-d images limited the animator who created images with strong, well defined outlines and flat colors, but with the more complex 3-d process used for book illustrations, the illustrator had more freedom and created characters that became part of the background, blending both techniques to create a more 3-d image. De Nunez was known as a character illustrator and White was a background illustrator. Despite the difference in artistic styles, both illustrators worked together to create a unified picture.

The introduction of TV into the home had great impact on American society and culture, and its impact on Little Golden Books was no exception. In the 19th century consumer products such as toys, books and games were already used as a tie-in to historical events, sports and famous people, and this phenomenon was expanded with the introduction of radio, movies and television. These new means of communication generated a whole new cast of characters and the impact on Golden Books was significant. A license with Walt Disney granted Little Golden Books the right to publish stories about some of Disney’s earliest creations, including favorites such as Snow White, Pinocchio, Dumbo and Sleeping Beauty. Moreover, the books began to feature television personalities like Howdy Doody, Roy Rogers and Captain Kangaroo, as well as popular Saturday morning cartoon characters like Woody Woodpecker, Bugs Bunny and Huckleberry Hound. These new partnerships with Warner Bros. and Hanna-Barbera significantly reduced the development of original stories and instead the books featured stories taken from children’s television shows. This opened the flood gates to create consumer products associated with popular movie and cartoon personalities. This practice continues today and proves to be a very lucrative endeavor.

first printing
1960
second printing
1972
publisher
Simon & Schuster
printer
Western Publishing Co., Inc.
author
McGovern, Ann
illustrator
De Nunez, Ben
White, Al
ID Number
COLL.GOLDNBK.000018
accession number
1992.0634

Woody Woodpecker Lunch Box

This steel lunch box was manufactured by Aladdin Industries in 1971. This lunch box features images from the television show Woody Woodpecker, including Knothead and Splinter, Woody’s nephew and niece.
Description (Brief)
This steel lunch box was manufactured by Aladdin Industries in 1971. This lunch box features images from the television show Woody Woodpecker, including Knothead and Splinter, Woody’s nephew and niece. Woody has been a fixture in cartoons and movies since his creation in 1940, and has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Date made
1971
maker
Aladdin
ID Number
2001.3087.19
nonaccession number
2001.3087
catalog number
2001.3087.19

Stars and Stripes Lunch Box

This steel domed lunch box was manufactured by Aladdin Industries in 1970. The lunch box features a metal snap for a hinged lid and a collapsible blue, plastic handle.
Description (Brief)
This steel domed lunch box was manufactured by Aladdin Industries in 1970. The lunch box features a metal snap for a hinged lid and a collapsible blue, plastic handle. The lunch box is decorated with large white stars on a blue lid and red and white vertical stripes on the sides and bottom of the lunch box, evoking the American flag.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1970
maker
Aladdin Industries Incorporated
ID Number
2001.3087.17.01
nonaccession number
2001.3087
catalog number
2001.3087.17.01

Superman Lunch Box

This tin lunch box was manufactured by Aladdin Industries in 1978. Released on the heels of the 1978 Superman movie, this lunch box shows the Daily Planets newsroom on the back, featuring images of Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Perry White, and Jimmy Olsen.
Description (Brief)
This tin lunch box was manufactured by Aladdin Industries in 1978. Released on the heels of the 1978 Superman movie, this lunch box shows the Daily Planets newsroom on the back, featuring images of Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Perry White, and Jimmy Olsen. The other side shows an image of Superman flying high above Metropolis in all his costumed glory.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1978
maker
Aladdin Industries
ID Number
2001.3087.26.01
nonaccession number
2001.3087
catalog number
2001.3087.26.01

Texas Instruments SR-10 Handheld Electronic Calculator

This is an example of the first model of a scientific calculator marketed by Texas Instruments. The handheld electronic calculator has a black and ivory-colored plastic case with an array of twenty-three plastic keys.
Description
This is an example of the first model of a scientific calculator marketed by Texas Instruments. The handheld electronic calculator has a black and ivory-colored plastic case with an array of twenty-three plastic keys. Twenty-one of these are square, the 0 and the total keys are rectangular. In addition to ten digit keys, a decimal point key, a total key, and four arithmetic function keys, the calculator has a reciprocal key, a square key, a square root key, a change sign key, an enter exponent key, a clear key, and a clear display key. Text above the keyboard, just below the display and to the left, reads: SR10. Behind the keyboard is a 12-digit LED display. Numbers larger than eight digits are displayed in scientific notation. A mark behind the display reads: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS. An on/off switch is right and slightly above this.
The back edge of the calculator has a jack for a recharger/adapter. A sticker on the back gives extensive instructions. It also gives the serial number SR10 275812.
Unscrewing screws near the top and bottom of the back reveals the workings of the calculator. It has a total of five chips. The largest of these is marked TMS 0120 NC (/) C7333. This is a TMS0120 chip, manufactured in mid-1973. Also in the case is space for three AA nickel-cadmium batteries.
The leather zippered case has both a loop and a hook for attaching the calculator to a belt. It also holds an instruction pamphlet entitled Texas Instruments electronic slide rule calculator SR-10, copyrighted 1973. A warranty registration on the inside of the back page indicates these instructions were originally sold with an SR-10 calculator with serial number 170334, purchased on September 27, 1973.
Texas Instruments described the SR-10 as an “electronic slide rule calculator,” hence the “SR” in the name. The first version of the device, introduced in 1972, did not have the mark SR-10 on the keyboard. The second version (introduced 1973) and the third (introduced 1975) did. This is an example of the first version. According to Ball & Flamm, it initially sold for $149.95.
Compare 1986.0988.351, 1986.0988.354, and 1986.0988.356.
References:
Guy Ball and Bruce Flamm, The Complete Collector’s Guide to Pocket Calculators, Tustin, CA: Wilson/Barnett, 1997, p. 153.
The online Datamath Museum includes versions of the SR-10 from 1972, 1973, and 1975.
date made
1972
Date made
1973
maker
Texas Instruments
ID Number
1986.0988.354
catalog number
1986.0988.354
accession number
1986.0988

On the Beach

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1950
1977
graphic artist
Burroughs, Margaret
publisher
Pebbleford Editions, Ltd.
Great American Picture Company
printer
Freedenfeld Press
ID Number
GA.24878.01
accession number
1978.0811
catalog number
24878.01

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Lunch Box

This tin lunch box was manufactured by Aladdin Industries in 1979. The lunch box features images from the television show Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.
Description (Brief)
This tin lunch box was manufactured by Aladdin Industries in 1979. The lunch box features images from the television show Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century ran from 1979-1981 on NBC, and revived the character originally created in 1928 because of the success of Star Wars and other science fiction at this time.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1979
maker
Aladdin Industries
ID Number
2001.3087.27.01
nonaccession number
2001.3087
catalog number
2001.3087.27.01

Emergency! Thermos

This plastic thermos bottle was made by Aladdin in 1973. It has a screw-on red cup lid with handle, but the stopper is missing. The thermos features images from the television series, Emergency!. Emergency!
Description (Brief)
This plastic thermos bottle was made by Aladdin in 1973. It has a screw-on red cup lid with handle, but the stopper is missing. The thermos features images from the television series, Emergency!. Emergency! ran from 1972-1978 on NBC, and chronicled the adventures of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1973
maker
Aladdin
ID Number
2003.3070.21.02
nonaccession number
2003.3070
catalog number
2003.3070.21.02

Happy Days Lunch Box

This metal lunch box was made by Thermos in 1977. The lunch box features imagery from the TV show, Happy Days. Happy Days ran from 1974-1984 on ABC, and was one of the most popular shows of its time.
Description (Brief)
This metal lunch box was made by Thermos in 1977. The lunch box features imagery from the TV show, Happy Days. Happy Days ran from 1974-1984 on ABC, and was one of the most popular shows of its time. It served as the genesis for iconic spin-off series like Laverne & Shirley, Mork & Mindy, and Joanie Loves Chachi.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1977
collected for nmah
Smithsonian Institution
maker
Thermos
ID Number
1988.3160.58
catalog number
1988.3160.58
nonaccession number
1988.3160

Billy Bird

Billy Bird, seen here autographing a paper plate, played with Ernest Tubb (1920-2001) and was a pioneer of the electric guitar.Currently not on view
Description
Billy Bird, seen here autographing a paper plate, played with Ernest Tubb (1920-2001) and was a pioneer of the electric guitar.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1973
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.075
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.075

Hee Haw Thermos

This tin, plastic and glass thermos bottle was made by Thermos in 1970. It has a screw-on, red plastic cup lid and a beige and red screw-on, plastic stopper.
Description (Brief)
This tin, plastic and glass thermos bottle was made by Thermos in 1970. It has a screw-on, red plastic cup lid and a beige and red screw-on, plastic stopper. The bottle has a tan wooden background, and drawings of the two stars from the television show Hee Haw, Gordie Tapp and Don Harron, on the side of the thermos.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1970
maker
King Seeley Thermos
ID Number
2001.3100.20
nonaccession number
2001.3100
catalog number
2001.3100.20

Space: 1999 Lunch Box

This metal lunch box was manufactured by Thermos in 1974. The lunch box features imagery of the short-lived TV series, Space: 1999, which ran from 1975-1978 in syndication.
Description (Brief)
This metal lunch box was manufactured by Thermos in 1974. The lunch box features imagery of the short-lived TV series, Space: 1999, which ran from 1975-1978 in syndication. In Space: 1999, an accidental explosion of nuclear waste stored on the moon propelled the moon out of its orbit and sent it hurtling through space sending the inhabitants of Moonbase Alpha looking for a new home and encountering adventures along the way.
Date made
1974
collected for nmah
Smithsonian Institution
maker
Thermos
ID Number
1988.3160.48
catalog number
1988.3160.48
nonaccession number
1988.3160

Dr. Seuss Thermos

This plastic and glass thermos bottle was made by Aladdin Industries in 1970. It has a screw-on white plastic cup lid with handle and screw-on white plastic stopper. The thermos bottle is decorated with various Dr.
Description (Brief)
This plastic and glass thermos bottle was made by Aladdin Industries in 1970. It has a screw-on white plastic cup lid with handle and screw-on white plastic stopper. The thermos bottle is decorated with various Dr. Seuss cartoons, including the Cat in the Hat.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1970
maker
Aladdin
ID Number
2003.3070.05.02
nonaccession number
2003.3070
catalog number
2003.3070.05.02

The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams Lunch Box

This dome-shaped metal lunch box was made in 1977 by Aladdin Industries. The box features imagery based on the hit TV series, The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams, which ran on NBC for two years from 1977-1978.
Description (Brief)
This dome-shaped metal lunch box was made in 1977 by Aladdin Industries. The box features imagery based on the hit TV series, The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams, which ran on NBC for two years from 1977-1978. The television series was based off of a 1974 feature film of the same name that was a huge success. The fictional character of Grizzly Adams was based off of the real man, James Capen Adams, a man who roamed the wilderness and tamed bears and other animals, often for P.T. Barnum’s shows.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1977
collected for nmah
Smithsonian Institution
maker
Aladdin
ID Number
1988.3160.41
catalog number
1988.3160.41
nonaccession number
1988.3160

Stoney and Wilma Lee Cooper

The Coopers welcomed Henry Horestein in their home, a great example of the accessibility of stars just thirty years ago. Wilma Lee (Leigh Leary, b. 1921) and Stoney Cooper (Dale Troy, 1918-1977) ranked as one of the great husband-wife teams in country music.
Description
The Coopers welcomed Henry Horestein in their home, a great example of the accessibility of stars just thirty years ago. Wilma Lee (Leigh Leary, b. 1921) and Stoney Cooper (Dale Troy, 1918-1977) ranked as one of the great husband-wife teams in country music. Their musical careers helped to bridge older and newer styles.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1974
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.038
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.038

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