Popular Entertainment

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.

The Sputniks. side 1: HEY, MARYANN; side 2: MY LOVE IS GONE (Class 217)45 rpm.Musical groups in Scandinavia, Brazil, East Germany, and the United States took the name "The Sputniks." This doo-wop recording is by a short-lived American group.
Description

The Sputniks. side 1: HEY, MARYANN; side 2: MY LOVE IS GONE (Class 217)
45 rpm.

Musical groups in Scandinavia, Brazil, East Germany, and the United States took the name "The Sputniks." This doo-wop recording is by a short-lived American group. Side two is a recording of "My Love is Gone."

Location
Currently not on view
date made
1958
composer
Nathan, N.
Vikki, J.
recording artist
Sputniks, The
manufacturer
Class
ID Number
1996.0153.20014
label number
217
accession number
1996.0153
catalog number
1996.0153.20014
Billy Mitchell and The Basie-ites. side 1: Pickin' on the Wrong Chicken; side 2: Satellite Beep Bop (Imperial X5520)45 rpm.Tenor saxophonist Billy Mitchell of Detroit made these recordings with several other members of Count Basie's legendary jazz orchestra.Currently not on view
Description

Billy Mitchell and The Basie-ites. side 1: Pickin' on the Wrong Chicken; side 2: Satellite Beep Bop (Imperial X5520)
45 rpm.

Tenor saxophonist Billy Mitchell of Detroit made these recordings with several other members of Count Basie's legendary jazz orchestra.

Location
Currently not on view
date made
1958
composer
Michael
Korgich
recording artist
The Basie-ites
Mitchell, Billy
composer
Young
Bruhn
manufacturer
Imperial
ID Number
1996.0153.18237
catalog number
1996.0153.18237
label number
X5520
accession number
1996.0153
The Equadors. side 1: Sputnik Dance / I'll Be the One; side 2: A Vision / Stay a Little Longer (RCA EPA 4286).45 rpm.Alan Turner, the lead singer in The Equadors, a Philadelphia rhythm and blues band, composed the song "Sputnik Dance," which the group recorded in early 1958.
Description

The Equadors. side 1: Sputnik Dance / I'll Be the One; side 2: A Vision / Stay a Little Longer (RCA EPA 4286).
45 rpm.

Alan Turner, the lead singer in The Equadors, a Philadelphia rhythm and blues band, composed the song "Sputnik Dance," which the group recorded in early 1958. Track 2 on this side was the song "I'll Be the One." The other side had songs "A Vision" and "Stay a Little Longer." The Equadors later renamed the group The Modern Ink Spots, and sang for several years.

Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1958
maker
RCA Victor
ID Number
2007.0048.01
accession number
2007.0048
catalog number
2007.0048.01
maker number
EPA 4286
In the mid-1960s, most children had never seen an electronic computer. However, they had heard stories of the power of these giant instruments and knew that they were associated with space flight.
Description
In the mid-1960s, most children had never seen an electronic computer. However, they had heard stories of the power of these giant instruments and knew that they were associated with space flight. This toy brought the mathematical principles of the digital computer into the home. The manual describes several problems that could be set up, including a basic check out of whether the device was functioning properly, counting down from 7 to 1 in binary, logical riddles, and the game of NIM. There is a special piece that can be used to represent the logical operation "or." The toy was made by E.S.R., Inc. of Orange and Montclair, New Jersey. It sold for about $5.00.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1965
date received
1977
maker
E.S.R., Incorporated
ID Number
1978.0067.59
catalog number
1978.0067.59
accession number
1978.0067

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