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.

This metal thermos bottle was made by Thermos in 1964. The bottle has a red plastic cup lid with handle. The thermos features artwork from the television show Fireball XL5.
Description (Brief)
This metal thermos bottle was made by Thermos in 1964. The bottle has a red plastic cup lid with handle. The thermos features artwork from the television show Fireball XL5. Fireball XL5 was filmed using Supermarionation, a combination of animation and puppetry that was made famous by the show’s creators, Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Fireball XL5 was another show that took advantage of the public’s fascination with space, as does this thermos, with its various images of rockets and space ships.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1964
maker
King Seeley Thermos
ID Number
2004.3009.13.02
nonaccession number
2004.3009
catalog number
2004.3009.13.02
This yellow plastic thermos bottle was made by Thermos in 1985. It has a beige screw-on plastic cup lid with handle, and a screw-on plastic stopper with a yellow hinged pouring spout.
Description (Brief)
This yellow plastic thermos bottle was made by Thermos in 1985. It has a beige screw-on plastic cup lid with handle, and a screw-on plastic stopper with a yellow hinged pouring spout. The thermos features is a colorful cartoon image of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and Woodstock of the Peanuts comic strip on the front.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1985
maker
King Seeley Thermos
ID Number
2004.3009.02.02
nonaccession number
2004.3009
catalog number
2004.3009.02.02
This plastic and glass thermos bottle was made by Thermos in 1959. The thermos has a red plastic cup lid, red plastic stopper and glass liner. The bottle is decorated with Looney Tunes characters identified with their names throughout.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
This plastic and glass thermos bottle was made by Thermos in 1959. The thermos has a red plastic cup lid, red plastic stopper and glass liner. The bottle is decorated with Looney Tunes characters identified with their names throughout.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1959
maker
King Seeley Thermos
ID Number
2004.3009.05.02
nonaccession number
2004.3009
catalog number
2004.3009.05.02
This metal thermos bottle was made by Thermos in 1967. It has a red plastic lid and stopper. The bottle is decorated with colorful animated scenes depicting a lift off of a rocket, the orbit of a command module, and the re-entry of the module into the atmosphere.
Description (Brief)
This metal thermos bottle was made by Thermos in 1967. It has a red plastic lid and stopper. The bottle is decorated with colorful animated scenes depicting a lift off of a rocket, the orbit of a command module, and the re-entry of the module into the atmosphere. Instead of creating a new thermos to go along with the Lost in Space box, Thermos re-used the imagery from the Orbit thermos, object number 2001.3100.13.02.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1967
maker
King Seeley Thermos
ID Number
2004.3009.19.02
nonaccession number
2004.3009
catalog number
2004.3009.19.02
This plastic thermos bottle was made by Thermos in 1977. It has a yellow screw-on plastic cup with handle and a white screw-on plastic stopper.
Description (Brief)
This plastic thermos bottle was made by Thermos in 1977. It has a yellow screw-on plastic cup with handle and a white screw-on plastic stopper. The thermos is decorated with portraits of the four band members of Kiss, Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss in their trademark face makeup.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1977
maker
King Seeley Thermos
ID Number
2004.3009.12.02
nonaccession number
2004.3009
catalog number
2004.3009.12.02
This metal and plastic thermos bottle was manufactured by Thermos in 1969. The lunch box features imagery from Diahann Carroll’s hit TV series, Julia which aired from 1968-1971 on NBC. Julia was applauded for its depiction of African-American life in a suburban setting.
Description (Brief)
This metal and plastic thermos bottle was manufactured by Thermos in 1969. The lunch box features imagery from Diahann Carroll’s hit TV series, Julia which aired from 1968-1971 on NBC. Julia was applauded for its depiction of African-American life in a suburban setting. The bottle is the companion piece to the Julia lunchbox, object number 2004.3009.30.01.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1969
maker
King Seeley Thermos
ID Number
2004.3009.30.02
nonaccession number
2004.3009
catalog number
2004.3009.30.02
This thermos bottle was manufactured by Thermos in 1961, and is the companion piece to lunch box object number 2001.3100.11.01. The bottle is made of tin, plastic and glass and has a screw-on, red plastic cup lid and a screw-on red and tan plastic stopper.
Description (Brief)
This thermos bottle was manufactured by Thermos in 1961, and is the companion piece to lunch box object number 2001.3100.11.01. The bottle is made of tin, plastic and glass and has a screw-on, red plastic cup lid and a screw-on red and tan plastic stopper. The bottle is yellow with drawings of cowboy clothing, equipment and firearms around the sides.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1961
maker
King Seeley Thermos
ID Number
2001.3100.11.02
nonaccession number
2001.3100
catalog number
2001.3100.11.02
This metal thermos bottle was made by Thermos in 1955. It has a red plastic cup lid. The thermos has a colorful animated action scene of Roy Rogers on his bucking horse Trigger, herding cattle.
Description (Brief)
This metal thermos bottle was made by Thermos in 1955. It has a red plastic cup lid. The thermos has a colorful animated action scene of Roy Rogers on his bucking horse Trigger, herding cattle. The thermos reads “Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Double R Bar Ranch.” Roy Rogers was the Thermos companies response to Aladdin’s first licensed lunch box of Hopalong Cassidy.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1955
maker
King Seeley Thermos
ID Number
2004.3009.24
nonaccession number
2004.3009
catalog number
2004.3009.24
This tin, plastic and glass thermos bottle was made by Thermos in 1967. It has a red plastic, screw-on cup lid and a red plastic, screw-on stopper.
Description (Brief)
This tin, plastic and glass thermos bottle was made by Thermos in 1967. It has a red plastic, screw-on cup lid and a red plastic, screw-on stopper. The bottle features are from the cartoon series, Dick Tracy on the sides, showing Tracy talking into his signature 2-way wrist radio.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1967
maker
King Seeley Thermos
ID Number
2001.3101.19
nonaccession number
2001.3101
catalog number
2001.3101.19
This metal and plastic thermos bottle was made by Thermos in 1958. The thermos has a colorful animated action scene of Roy Rogers on his bucking horse Trigger, herding cattle.
Description (Brief)
This metal and plastic thermos bottle was made by Thermos in 1958. The thermos has a colorful animated action scene of Roy Rogers on his bucking horse Trigger, herding cattle. The thermos reads “Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Double R Bar Ranch.” This thermos is the companion bottle to the lunch box object number 2004.3009.31.01
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1958
maker
King Seeley Thermos
ID Number
2004.3009.31.02
nonaccession number
2004.3009
catalog number
2004.3009.31.02
This tin, plastic and glass thermos bottle was made by Thermos in 1965. It has a red plastic screw-on cup lid and a beige and red plastic screw-on stopper. The bottle has images of soldiers in war settings on the side.
Description (Brief)
This tin, plastic and glass thermos bottle was made by Thermos in 1965. It has a red plastic screw-on cup lid and a beige and red plastic screw-on stopper. The bottle has images of soldiers in war settings on the side. The bottle matches lunch box #2001.3101.04.01, and the image is the same as the front image of the lunch box.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1965
maker
King Seeley Thermos
ID Number
2001.3101.04.02
nonaccession number
2001.3101
catalog number
2001.3101.04.02
This red plastic thermos bottle was made by Thermos in 1983. It has a white screw-on cup lid with handle and a white screw-on stopper with a yellow hinged pouring spout.
Description (Brief)
This red plastic thermos bottle was made by Thermos in 1983. It has a white screw-on cup lid with handle and a white screw-on stopper with a yellow hinged pouring spout. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi is printed in white above the image of an Ewok, a cute and cuddly new addition to the Star Wars universe in the final film who helped take down the evil Empire.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1983
maker
King Seeley Thermos
ID Number
2004.3009.10.02
nonaccession number
2004.3009
catalog number
2004.3009.10.02
This red plastic thermos bottle was made by Thermos in 1985. The bottle has a white plastic, screw-on cup lid with handle and a white screw-on stopper with a yellow hinged pouring spout.
Description (Brief)
This red plastic thermos bottle was made by Thermos in 1985. The bottle has a white plastic, screw-on cup lid with handle and a white screw-on stopper with a yellow hinged pouring spout. The front of the thermos is decorated with a colorful cartoon image of Indiana Jones posing in his trademark hat and whip.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1984
maker
King Seeley Thermos
ID Number
2004.3009.14.02
nonaccession number
2004.3009
catalog number
2004.3009.14.02
This square plastic thermos bottle was made in 1973 by Thermos. It has a red plastic, screw-on cup lid and a white and red plastic, screw-on plastic stopper.
Description (Brief)
This square plastic thermos bottle was made in 1973 by Thermos. It has a red plastic, screw-on cup lid and a white and red plastic, screw-on plastic stopper. The bottle has a yellow background with portraits of each of the Chan family members, from the cartoon series, The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan. The bottle matches lunch box #2001.3101.13.01.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1973
maker
King Seeley Thermos
ID Number
2001.3101.13.02
nonaccession number
2001.3101
catalog number
2001.3101.13.02
This tin lunch box was manufactured by Thermos in 1983. This lunch box features the characters from the television series, The A-Team on the exterior.
Description (Brief)
This tin lunch box was manufactured by Thermos in 1983. This lunch box features the characters from the television series, The A-Team on the exterior. The A-Team ran from 1983-1987 on NBC, and the box shows some of the explosive action that The A-Team was known for.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1983
maker
King Seeley Thermos
ID Number
2004.3009.01
nonaccession number
2004.3009
catalog number
2004.3009.01
This tin, plastic and glass thermos bottle was made by Thermos in 1969. It has a screw-on, green plastic cup lid and a beige and red screw-on, plastic stopper. The bottle has colorful drawings from the television show Julia on the side of the thermos.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
This tin, plastic and glass thermos bottle was made by Thermos in 1969. It has a screw-on, green plastic cup lid and a beige and red screw-on, plastic stopper. The bottle has colorful drawings from the television show Julia on the side of the thermos.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1969
maker
King Seeley Thermos
ID Number
2001.3100.18
nonaccession number
2001.3100
catalog number
2001.3100.18
This tin lunch box was made by ADCO Liberty Manufacturing Corporation and has a metal snap for a hinged lid and a collapsible metal handle. The lunch box features drawings from the television series The Lone Ranger on the lid and back, which ran from 1949-1957 on ABC.
Description (Brief)
This tin lunch box was made by ADCO Liberty Manufacturing Corporation and has a metal snap for a hinged lid and a collapsible metal handle. The lunch box features drawings from the television series The Lone Ranger on the lid and back, which ran from 1949-1957 on ABC. The front features the Lone Ranger uttering his trademark phrase “Hi-Yo Silver!,” and the back is both the Lone Ranger and Tonto riding their horses, the Ranger saying “Hi-Yo Silver,” and Tonto saying “Get-em Up Scout!”
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1954
maker
King Seeley Thermos
ADCO Liberty Mfg. Corp.
ID Number
2001.3100.04
nonaccession number
2001.3100
catalog number
2001.3100.04
This tin lunch box was made by Thermos in 1969. It has a metal snap for a hinged lid and a collapsible, blue plastic handle. The box features colorful drawings from the cartoon series Blondie on the lid, back and sides.
Description (Brief)
This tin lunch box was made by Thermos in 1969. It has a metal snap for a hinged lid and a collapsible, blue plastic handle. The box features colorful drawings from the cartoon series Blondie on the lid, back and sides. Created in 1930, Blondie was originally the focus of the strip, as a carefree flapper who dated a rich playboy in Dagwood Bumstead. However, when they married, Dagwood’s family disowned him and the strip changed to focus on the day to day life of Dagwood as a middle-class working guy with a loving family.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1969
maker
King Seeley Thermos
ID Number
2001.3101.11
nonaccession number
2001.3101
catalog number
2001.3101.11
This tin, plastic and glass thermos bottle was made by Thermos in 1964. It has a white plastic, screw-on cup lid and a beige and red plastic, screw-on stopper. The bottle features images from the cartoon series, Popeye on the sides.
Description (Brief)
This tin, plastic and glass thermos bottle was made by Thermos in 1964. It has a white plastic, screw-on cup lid and a beige and red plastic, screw-on stopper. The bottle features images from the cartoon series, Popeye on the sides. The bottle is the companion piece to lunch box #2001.3101.12.01.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1964
maker
King Seeley Thermos
ID Number
2001.3101.12.02
nonaccession number
2001.3101
catalog number
2001.3101.12.02
This metal lunch box was manufactured by Thermos in 1977. This box features images of the band Kiss. Kiss was well known for their flamboyant face paint and costumes, with its members Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss taking on alternate personas.
Description (Brief)
This metal lunch box was manufactured by Thermos in 1977. This box features images of the band Kiss. Kiss was well known for their flamboyant face paint and costumes, with its members Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss taking on alternate personas. Stanley was the Starchild, Simmons the Demon, Frehley the Spaceman, and Criss the Catman.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1977
maker
King Seeley Thermos
ID Number
2004.3009.12.01
nonaccession number
2004.3009
catalog number
2004.3009.12.01
This square plastic thermos bottle was made by Thermos in 1979. It has a screw-on, white plastic cup lid and a white and red screw-on plastic stopper.
Description (Brief)
This square plastic thermos bottle was made by Thermos in 1979. It has a screw-on, white plastic cup lid and a white and red screw-on plastic stopper. The bottle features a purple and blue design with a colorful drawing of the USS Enterprise from the first Star Trek film, Star Trek: The Motion Picture on the front of the thermos.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1979
maker
King Seeley Thermos
ID Number
2001.3100.21
nonaccession number
2001.3100
catalog number
2001.3100.21
This tin lunch box was made by Thermos in 1964. The box has a metal snap for a hinged lid and a collapsible, dark brown plastic handle. The box has colorful action scenes and portrait drawings from the cartoon series Popeye on the lid, back and sides.
Description (Brief)
This tin lunch box was made by Thermos in 1964. The box has a metal snap for a hinged lid and a collapsible, dark brown plastic handle. The box has colorful action scenes and portrait drawings from the cartoon series Popeye on the lid, back and sides. Popeye the sailor was originally created as a comic-strip character by E.C. Segar in 1929, and has continued to the present while also appearing in radio, television, and movies.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1964
maker
King Seeley Thermos
ID Number
2001.3101.12.01
nonaccession number
2001.3101
catalog number
2001.3101.12.01
This square plastic thermos bottle was made by Thermos in 1977. It has a red plastic, screw-on cup lid and a white and red plastic, screw-on stopper. The thermos has a blue background, and features an image of C3-PO and R2-D2 from Star Wars: A New Hope on the front.
Description (Brief)
This square plastic thermos bottle was made by Thermos in 1977. It has a red plastic, screw-on cup lid and a white and red plastic, screw-on stopper. The thermos has a blue background, and features an image of C3-PO and R2-D2 from Star Wars: A New Hope on the front. The bottle is a companion piece to lunch box #2001.3101.18.01.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1977
maker
King Seeley Thermos
ID Number
2001.3101.18.02
nonaccession number
2001.3101
catalog number
2001.3101.18.02
This metal lunch box was manufactured by Thermos in 1973. The lunch box features the cartoon characters of the television show Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, on all sides of the lunch box.
Description (Brief)
This metal lunch box was manufactured by Thermos in 1973. The lunch box features the cartoon characters of the television show Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, on all sides of the lunch box. Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids was an animated series created by Bill Cosby that ran from 1972-1985 on CBS.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1973
maker
King Seeley Thermos
ID Number
2004.3009.03.01
nonaccession number
2004.3009
catalog number
2004.3009.03.01

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