Popular Entertainment - Overview
This Museum's popular entertainment collections hold some of the Smithsonian's most beloved artifacts. The ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz reside here, along with the Muppet character Kermit the Frog, and props from popular television series such as M*A*S*H and All in the Family. But as in many of the Museum's collections, the best-known objects are a small part of the story.
The collection also encompasses many other artifacts of 19th- and 20th-century commercial theater, film, radio, and TV—some 50,000 sound recordings dating back to 1903; posters, publicity stills, and programs from films and performances; puppets; numerous items from World's Fairs from 1851 to 1992; and audiovisual materials on Groucho Marx, to name only a few.
"Popular Entertainment - Overview" showing 9 items.
Bee Gees Lunch Box
- Description (Brief)
- This metal lunch box was manufactured by Thermos in 1978. The lunch box depicts the three Bee Gees on front lid, Robin Gibb on the rear panel, and various song titles are written on the side. The Bee Gees mainly consisted of the brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb, and each one had their own lunch box. The Bee Gees first achieved international fame in the 1960s as a rock group, but the height of their success occurred in the late 1970s, with their soundtrack to the hit movie Saturday Night Fever becoming one of the best selling soundtracks of all time.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1978
- maker
- Aladdin Industries
- King Seeley Thermos
- ID Number
- 2001.3099.01
- nonaccession number
- 2001.3099
- catalog number
- 2001.3099.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
The Bionic Woman Lunch Box
- Description (Brief)
- This tin lunch box was manufactured by Aladdin Industries in 1977. The Bionic Woman lunch box features images from the television show, which aired one season from 1976-1977 on ABC and one season 1977-1978 on NBC. The Bionic Woman was a spin-off of the more popular The Six Million Dollar Man, and starred Linda Wagner as Jaime Sommers.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1977
- maker
- Aladdin Industries
- ID Number
- 2001.3087.24.01
- nonaccession number
- 2001.3087
- catalog number
- 2001.3087.24.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
The Bionic Woman
- Description (Brief)
- This plastic thermos bottle was manufactured by Aladdin Industries in 1978 and has with a light blue plastic, screw-on cup lid and beige plastic screw-on stopper. The bottle features colorful action scenes from the television series, The Bionic Woman on all exterior surfaces.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1978
- maker
- Aladdin Industries
- ID Number
- 2001.3087.24.02
- nonaccession number
- 2001.3087
- catalog number
- 2001.3087.24.02
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Skateboarders Lunch Box
- Description (Brief)
- This tin lunch box was manufactured by Aladdin Industries in 1978. The lunch box is entitled, "The Skateboarder," and features colorful scenes of skateboarders in action on all exterior surfaces. This lunch box was one of the few that did not feature licensed images from television, and instead tried to cash in on the growing popularity of skateboarding.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1978
- maker
- Aladdin Industries
- ID Number
- 2001.3087.25
- nonaccession number
- 2001.3087
- catalog number
- 2001.3087.25
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
El Chapulin Colorado Lunch Box
- Description (Brief)
- This tin lunch box was manufactured by Aladdin Industries in 1979. The lunch box has a red and blue design depicting scenes from the television series, El Chapulin Colorado. El Chapulin Colorado (The Red Grasshopper) ran from 1972-1979 on the Mexican station Televisa. Originally created in Mexico, the show was popular in Latin America and the United Sates, and is credited as inspiring the character of Bumblebee Man from the Simpsons.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1979
- maker
- Aladdin Industries
- ID Number
- 2001.3087.28
- nonaccession number
- 2001.3087
- catalog number
- 2001.3087.28
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Superman Lunch Box
- 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
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Superman Thermos Bottle
- Description (Brief)
- This plastic thermos bottle was manufactured by Aladdin Industries in 1978 and has a red plastic, screw-on cup lid and a beige plastic, screw-on stopper with a brown and white plastic pouring spout. The bottle features colorful action scenes from the movie version of Superman all exterior surfaces. Matches Superman lunch box object #2001.3087.26.01.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1978
- maker
- Aladdin Industries
- ID Number
- 2001.3087.26.02
- nonaccession number
- 2001.3087
- catalog number
- 2001.3087.26.02
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Lunch Box
- 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
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Thermos Bottle
- Description (Brief)
- This plastic thermos bottle was manufactured by Aladdin Industries in 1979, and has an orange plastic, screw-on cup lid and a beige plastic screw-on stopper. The thermos bottle features images from the television show Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. This bottle matches lunch box object #2001.3087.27.02.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1979
- maker
- Aladdin Industries
- ID Number
- 2001.3087.27.02
- nonaccession number
- 2001.3087
- catalog number
- 2001.3087.27.02
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center