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: 1990s

Spring Breaks and Beats

various artists. Spring Breaks and Beats: Def Jam Recordings '97 (Def Jam DEF 147-4)Cassette tape.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
various artists. Spring Breaks and Beats: Def Jam Recordings '97 (Def Jam DEF 147-4)
Cassette tape.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1997
maker
Def Jam
ID Number
2006.3087.14
nonaccession number
2006.3087
catalog number
2006.3087.14

1975 - 1995 "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" Child's Quilt

The popularity of the 1937 Walt Disney movie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, based on a German fairy tale, inspired this quilt pattern. The movie has been re-released many times.
Description
The popularity of the 1937 Walt Disney movie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, based on a German fairy tale, inspired this quilt pattern. The movie has been re-released many times. In 1972 Lehman Brothers published a pattern, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves,” that is very similar to this quilt. It was advertised as “a perfect quilt for your favorite child. White bearded dwarves [sic] dressed in bright suits, and colorful trees and flowers surround Snow White and the cottage.”
From the early 20th century, kit quilts have been available in the market to save time and/or provide the quilter with assistance in design or color choices. This quilt was made from a kit as evidenced by stamped lines that are still visible along some edges.
The quilt is appliquéd with motifs that include a stylized cottage, trees, and dwarfs, and, of course, Snow White. All of the dwarfs have coral-colored caps and boots, blue tights, yellow shirts, green vests, and white beards. Details are embroidered with satin, outline, daisy, and French knot stitches. The figures are outlined in quilting stitches, 4 stitches per inch. The 7 ½-inch border is quilted with flowers and diagonal lines. The “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves” pattern, based on a well-known children’s story and animated movie, made a special quilt to brighten a child’s room.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1975-1995
ID Number
1996.0013.01
accession number
1996.0013
catalog number
1996.0013.01

Timbales, used by Tito Puente

This drum set was made by Latin Percussion, Inc. in Garfield, New Jersey, around 1990-1996. This drum set consists of timbales, two cowbells, and stand. It was used by Tito Puente in the closing ceremonies of the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.
Description (Brief)

This drum set was made by Latin Percussion, Inc. in Garfield, New Jersey, around 1990-1996. This drum set consists of timbales, two cowbells, and stand. It was used by Tito Puente in the closing ceremonies of the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. The timbales were built and customized with the 1996 Olympic logo by Ray Gregales of Latin Percussion, Inc.

Ernesto Antonio "Tito" Puente, Jr. (1923–2000) was an American musician, songwriter and record producer. Born in New York City's Spanish Harlem to Puerto Rican parents, Tito Puente became one of the most important Latino bandleaders, composers, arrangers, and percussionists of his generation. He mastered both Afro-Caribbean music and jazz, contributing to the development of Latin Jazz, mambo, and salsa. In collaboration with other great Latin music and jazz artists, he brought a new Latin sound to American music.

The 1996 Summer Olympic Games were held in Atlanta, Georgia and marked the first time since 1984 that the United States topped the medal count. These Games saw over 10,000 athletes, from 197 countries, competing in 26 sports, including the debuts of beach volleyball, mountain biking, softball and women’s soccer. This was also the first Games in which American women, who had taken full advantage of Title IX legislation, competed and excelled in Olympic competition. The women’s gymnastics, soccer, softball and basketball teams all won gold, propelling the US women athletes into the global spotlight and beginning their dominance in Olympic competition. Atlanta benefitted from the Games as Centennial Olympic Park led to the revitalization of the downtown area and the Olympic Village became residence housing for area universities.
Date made
1990 - 1996
user
Puente, Tito
maker
Latin Percussion
ID Number
1996.0304.01
accession number
1996.0304
catalog number
1996.0604.01

Home Invasion

Ice-T. Home Invasion (Sire/Warner Bros. 9 45119-2). In original paper packaging with controversial color illustration of a kid listening to rap music with violent images in the background.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Ice-T. Home Invasion (Sire/Warner Bros. 9 45119-2). In original paper packaging with controversial color illustration of a kid listening to rap music with violent images in the background.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1993
recording artist
Ice-T
maker
Sire Records
ID Number
2006.0046.04
accession number
2006.0046
catalog number
2006.0046.04

Mulan Lunch Box

This insulated soft fabric lunch box was made by Aladdin in 1998. The lunch box has two green fabric carrying handles and green zipper for lid. There is a cartoon image of the character Mulan from Disney’s film Mulan on lid.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
This insulated soft fabric lunch box was made by Aladdin in 1998. The lunch box has two green fabric carrying handles and green zipper for lid. There is a cartoon image of the character Mulan from Disney’s film Mulan on lid.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1990s
date made
1998
maker
Aladdin
ID Number
2003.3070.29.01
nonaccession number
2003.3070
catalog number
2003.3070.29.01

Barbie Lunch Box

This tin lunch box was manufactured by Thermos in the 1990s. The lunch box is licensed by Barbie, although the typical Barbie image does not appear on the box. Pink, green and yellow drawings of Barbie dolls are on the front and back and floral patterns are on the lid and back.
Description (Brief)
This tin lunch box was manufactured by Thermos in the 1990s. The lunch box is licensed by Barbie, although the typical Barbie image does not appear on the box. Pink, green and yellow drawings of Barbie dolls are on the front and back and floral patterns are on the lid and back. Barbie was originally invented in 1959 by Ruth Handler, and the Mattel Corporation has sold over a billion Barbie dolls world wide since that time.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1990s
maker
Thermos Company
ID Number
2001.3087.37.01
nonaccession number
2001.3087
catalog number
2001.3087.37.01

Home Invasion

Ice-T. Home Invasion (Rhyme Syndicate P2 53858). In original paper packaging with controversial color illustration of a kid listening to rap music with violent images in the background.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Ice-T. Home Invasion (Rhyme Syndicate P2 53858). In original paper packaging with controversial color illustration of a kid listening to rap music with violent images in the background.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1993
recording artist
Ice-T
maker
Rhyme Syndicate
ID Number
2006.0046.03
accession number
2006.0046
catalog number
2006.0046.03

Aladdin Lunch Box

This hard plastic lunch box was made by Aladdin in 1993. It has a plastic snap for hinged lid and hinged plastic carrying handle. The box is a sparkling blue with an image of Aladdin first freeing the Genie from his lamp in the 1992 Disney movie Aladdin on the lid.
Description (Brief)
This hard plastic lunch box was made by Aladdin in 1993. It has a plastic snap for hinged lid and hinged plastic carrying handle. The box is a sparkling blue with an image of Aladdin first freeing the Genie from his lamp in the 1992 Disney movie Aladdin on the lid. Concerned mothers feared metal lunch boxes could be used as playground weapons, so metal boxes stopped being manufactured in 1985. As such, this box was made from plastic, and its image is papered on.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1993
maker
Aladdin
ID Number
2003.3070.27.01
nonaccession number
2003.3070
catalog number
2003.3070.27.01

Pinky and the Brain Lunch Box

This insulated soft fabric lunch box was made by Aladdin in 1996. It has two red fabric carrying handles and red closing zipper for lid. The box has a purple background with colorful dots, and cartoon images of Pinky and the Brain.
Description (Brief)
This insulated soft fabric lunch box was made by Aladdin in 1996. It has two red fabric carrying handles and red closing zipper for lid. The box has a purple background with colorful dots, and cartoon images of Pinky and the Brain. Pinky and the Brain was an animated cartoon that was originally part of Animaniacs on The WB, and it ran from 1995-2001. Because of the fear of kids using metal lunch boxes as weapons, many lunch boxes during the 90’s were made of insulated fabric like this box.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1996
maker
Aladdin
ID Number
2003.3070.30.01
nonaccession number
2003.3070
catalog number
2003.3070.30.01

Solar Sat, Sunday Peaches, Lisa, Jesse Lee Rainbow and Dhana Pilar Law, 1986.

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1986
date printed
1998
maker
West, Sybel
ID Number
1998.0138.06
catalog number
1998.0138.06
accession number
1998.0138

AIDS Memorial Quilt Panel

This panel from the AIDS Memorial Quilt honors activist Roger Lyon, who died of AIDS in 1984.
Description
This panel from the AIDS Memorial Quilt honors activist Roger Lyon, who died of AIDS in 1984. Shortly before his death, Lyon testified before Congress to appeal for funding to combat the growing epidemic.
One of the greatest challenges in the fight against AIDS was changing public attitudes toward the disease and its victims, who were predominantly homosexual men. To awaken a seemingly uncaring nation to the magnitude of the crisis, activists created the AIDS Memorial Quilt. Through its thousands of panels, each with a personal story, the quilt has served as a call for compassion, education, and action.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1985-1990
referenced
Lyon, Roger
maker
McMullin, Gert
ID Number
1998.0254.01
accession number
1998.0254
catalog number
1998.0254.01

Urkel Lunch Box

This hard red plastic lunch box was made by Aladdin in 1991. It has a hinged handle and closing snap for hinged lid. The lunch box features an image of Steve Urkel from the show Family Matters on lid.
Description (Brief)
This hard red plastic lunch box was made by Aladdin in 1991. It has a hinged handle and closing snap for hinged lid. The lunch box features an image of Steve Urkel from the show Family Matters on lid. Family Matters ran from 1989-1997 on ABC and 1997-1998 on CBS, mainly part of ABC’s TGIF block of programming. With his catchphrase “Did I do that?” and distinctive laugh, Urkel became the breakout star of the show and is the star of this box.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1991
maker
Aladdin
ID Number
2003.3070.28.01
nonaccession number
2003.3070
catalog number
2003.3070.28.01

Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.

If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.