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 204 items.
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Popeye Lunch Box
- Description (Brief)
- This tin lunch box was manufactured by Aladdin Industries in 1980. The lunch box has a red and yellow design depicting colorful action scenes and characters from the cartoon, Popeye on the exterior. Popeye and Brutus are depicted arguing over Olive Oyl on one side, and engaged in an arm wrestling contest on the other.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1980
- maker
- Aladdin Thermos Company
- ID Number
- 2001.3087.32
- nonaccession number
- 2001.3087
- catalog number
- 2001.3087.32
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Star Wars: A New Hope Lunch Box
- Description (Brief)
- This tin lunch box was made by Thermos in 1977. The box has a red plastic snap for a hinged lid and a collapsible red, plastic handle. The box has art from the movie Star Wars: A New Hope. The lid and sides are a starry black background, and the lid has an image of a TIE Fighter shooting at an X-Wing. The back shows Luke Skywalker, Ben Kenobi, and C3P0 in their landspeeder being stopped by storm troopers heading into Mos Eisley.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1977
- maker
- King Seeley Thermos
- ID Number
- 2001.3101.18.01
- nonaccession number
- 2001.3101
- catalog number
- 2001.3101.18.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Batman and Robin Lunch Box
- Description (Brief)
- This steel lunch box was manufactured by Aladdin Industries in 1966. The lunch box features images of the comic strip version of Batman and Robin that ran from 1966-1974. These Batman and Robin strips took on the some of the campy nature of television’s Batman, but also introduced some of the series most interesting storylines.
- Date made
- 1966
- maker
- Aladdin
- ID Number
- 2003.3070.01
- nonaccession number
- 2003.3070
- catalog number
- 2003.3070.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Looney Tunes Lunch Box
- Description (Brief)
- This metal lunch box was manufactured by Thermos in 1959. The front and back of the box is actually a styled as a television set, with Looney Tunes characters pictured inside the set. Looney Tunes were originally shorts that ran before feature films from 1930-1969, but have since been repackaged into a variety of television shows. Looney Tunes has given us some of cartoons most iconic characters, such as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner.
- Date made
- 1959
- maker
- King Seeley Thermos
- ID Number
- 2004.3009.05.01
- nonaccession number
- 2004.3009
- catalog number
- 2004.3009.05.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center