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.

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
2016.0032.084
accession number
2016.0032
catalog number
2016.0032.084
Benny Goodman's Quintet. side 1: Pick-a-Rib [part 1]; side 2: Pick-a-Rib [part 2] (Blue Ace 224).78 rpm. These tracks were originally recorded in 1938 and released on Victor 26166.Blue Ace was a bootleg record label, founded around the late 1940s.
Description (Brief)

Benny Goodman's Quintet. side 1: Pick-a-Rib [part 1]; side 2: Pick-a-Rib [part 2] (Blue Ace 224).
78 rpm. These tracks were originally recorded in 1938 and released on Victor 26166.

Blue Ace was a bootleg record label, founded around the late 1940s. The label was dedicated to the unauthorized reissue of jazz recordings from the 1935-1942 period. Brooklyn record store owner Sam Meltzer is allegedly to have produced the recordings, who was also associated with the bootleg Hot Jazz Club of America [HJCA] recordings, which focused on jazz recordings of the 1920s.

Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1938
recording artist
Benny Goodman's Quintet
manufacturer
Blue Ace
ID Number
1988.0698.1109
catalog number
1988.0698.1109
accession number
1988.0698
collector/donor number
G80
maker number
224
Prop violin used by Lindsey Stirling in the music video for her song "Beyond the Veil." The wooden violin was made in Czechoslovakia in the 20th century and it bears a fake Stradavari label; the actual maker is unknown.
Description (Brief)
Prop violin used by Lindsey Stirling in the music video for her song "Beyond the Veil." The wooden violin was made in Czechoslovakia in the 20th century and it bears a fake Stradavari label; the actual maker is unknown. In the video, Stirling is shown waking up on a beach to see a girl running into the sea; the girl is holding this violin. As Stirling pursues the girl through the water, she discovers an underwater fantasy world. That plot line is intercut with footage of Stirling playing a different violin on the beach and in a forest.
Lindsey Stirling is an American musician, dancer, and songwriter known for blending a diverse variety of musical styles including classical, pop, rock, and electronic influences with dance performance. As a contestant on season five of the television series America’s Got Talent in 2010, Stirling gained an enthusiastic following among viewers who enjoyed her unique dance and violin performances, but was voted off by the celebrity judges in the quarter finals. Undaunted by their criticism, Stirling started posting music videos online in 2011, pairing mash-ups of electro-pop styles with lively steps and twirls in settings often drawn from video games or movies. Her posts inspired millions, then billions, of fans worldwide and revealed how audiences and entertainers could forego traditional tastemakers and gatekeepers to build powerful connections directly through digital platforms.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
20th century
associated date
2014
performer
Stirling, Lindsey
ID Number
2015.0303.03
accession number
2015.0303
catalog number
2015.0303.03
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
presentation date
2006
ID Number
2018.0078.11
accession number
2018.0078
catalog number
2018.0078.11
serial number
L07-04
This sheet music is for the song “Hail, Hail, the Gang’s All Here (What the - Deuce - Do We Care),” with lyrics by D. A. Esrom [Theodora Morse] and music by Theodore Morse and Arthur Sullivan. It was published by Leo Feist, Inc. in New York, New York in 1917.
Description

This sheet music is for the song “Hail, Hail, the Gang’s All Here (What the - Deuce - Do We Care),” with lyrics by D. A. Esrom [Theodora Morse] and music by Theodore Morse and Arthur Sullivan. It was published by Leo Feist, Inc. in New York, New York in 1917. The original tune was written by Arthur Sullivan for the comic opera The Pirates of Penzance.

The cover art for this sheet music was made by Rosenbaum Studios. The firm was founded by Morris Rosenbaum (1886-1953) in the early 1910s. There were several artists working for Rosenbaum Studios throughout the firm’s 27 years in operation. Variations of a rosebud/RS symbol were used to sign the artwork. Morris Rosenbaum was commissioned to create the logo for the newly formed film company MGM (Metro Goldwyn Mayer) in 1924.

Location
Currently not on view
publishing date
1917
publisher
Leo Feist Inc.
ID Number
1985.0403.05
accession number
1985.0403
catalog number
1985.0403.05
This sheet music is for the song “Time Waits For No One,” with music and lyrics by Cliff Friend and Charles Tobias. It was published by Remick Music Corp. in New York, New York in 1944.”Time Waits For No One” was featured in the 1944 Warner Bros.
Description

This sheet music is for the song “Time Waits For No One,” with music and lyrics by Cliff Friend and Charles Tobias. It was published by Remick Music Corp. in New York, New York in 1944.

”Time Waits For No One” was featured in the 1944 Warner Bros. musical film, Shine On, Harvest Moon, directed by David Butler and starred Ann Sheridan and Dennis Morgan. The cover features a still from the movie.

Location
Currently not on view
publishing date
1944
publisher
Remick Music Corporation
ID Number
1985.0393.17
accession number
1985.0393
catalog number
1985.0393.17
Black polyester and cotton jacket with red polyester lining. Size Medium. With white piped trim at shoulders. Knit cuffs, neck and waist. Zipper front. 2 open front pockets and one zipped sleeve pocket.
Description (Brief)

Black polyester and cotton jacket with red polyester lining. Size Medium. With white piped trim at shoulders. Knit cuffs, neck and waist. Zipper front. 2 open front pockets and one zipped sleeve pocket. Hot pink and white thread lettering on front left side and back and red and green rose on back. The front of the jacket is embroidered:

Willie

(applied on the back of the jacket):

Willie
and Family
on the Road Again

Inspired by Live Aid, the international benefit concert for Ethiopian famine victims, Willie Nelson and other singers established Farm Aid in 1985 to support family farmers in the United States.

Location
Currently not on view
date made
1980
user
Nelson, Willie
ID Number
1983.0551.01
accession number
1983.0551
catalog number
1983.0551.01
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
maker
W. Paxton & Co. Ltd.
ID Number
2018.3010.276
nonaccession number
2018.3010
catalog number
2018.3010.276
This music box disc was made by Regina Music Box Co. in Rahway, New Jersey, around 1901-1902. It is Regina Disc #1993 - "Hiawatha (A Summer Idyl)," by Neil Moret.
Description

This music box disc was made by Regina Music Box Co. in Rahway, New Jersey, around 1901-1902. It is Regina Disc #1993 - "Hiawatha (A Summer Idyl)," by Neil Moret. This disc is playable in a Regina Disc Music Box that can accommodate a 15-1/2” diameter disc.

This disc features the following patents:

U. S. Patent #417649, dated December 17, 1889 by Oskar Paul Lochmann for a music plate for mechanical instruments.

U. S. Patent #500374, dated June 27, 1893 by Gustav A. Brachhausen and Paul Riessner for a note-plate for music boxes.

Location
Currently not on view
manufacturing date
1901-1902
manufacturer
Regina Music Box Company
ID Number
MI.378567.12
catalog number
378567.12
accession number
144168
Paul Revere and The Raiders. side 1: The Great Airplane Strike; side 2: In My Community (Columbia 4-43810)45 rpm. Accessioned with original printedsleeve.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Paul Revere and The Raiders. side 1: The Great Airplane Strike; side 2: In My Community (Columbia 4-43810)
45 rpm. Accessioned with original printedsleeve.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1966
recording artist
Paul Revere and The Raiders
manufacturer
Columbia
ID Number
1996.3034.06452
catalog number
1996.3034.06452
label number
4-43810
nonaccession number
1996.3034
This sheet music is for the song “I ‘Wanna’ Sing About You,” by Cliff Friend and Dave Dreyer. It was published by Irving Berlin, Inc. in New York, New York in 1931. The cover features an image of Husk O’Hare and his band, a popular East Coast territory band.
Description
This sheet music is for the song “I ‘Wanna’ Sing About You,” by Cliff Friend and Dave Dreyer. It was published by Irving Berlin, Inc. in New York, New York in 1931. The cover features an image of Husk O’Hare and his band, a popular East Coast territory band. Husk O’Hare (1896-1970) was an American jazz bandleader active during the 1920s and 1930s.
Location
Currently not on view
publishing date
1931
publisher
Irving Berlin, Inc.
ID Number
1983.0694.07
accession number
1983.0694
catalog number
1983.0694.07
This sheet music for the song “By Studying My Lady’s Eyes” was written by Thomas Bailey Aldrice and composed by Julius S. Lyons. The song was originally published by Wm. A. Pond and Co.
Description
This sheet music for the song “By Studying My Lady’s Eyes” was written by Thomas Bailey Aldrice and composed by Julius S. Lyons. The song was originally published by Wm. A. Pond and Co. of New York, New York in 1889, and appeared as a supplement to the “New York Herald” on May 31, 1903. The sheet music features a pencil drawing of a woman casting a sultry gaze at the viewer.
Location
Currently not on view
publishing date
1902
lyricist
Aldrich, Thomas Bailey
composer
Lyons, Julius J.
publisher
William A. Pond & Co.
ID Number
1982.0440.42
accession number
1982.0440
catalog number
1982.0440.42
various artists. Historic Jazz Concert at Music Inn (Atlantic 1298).33-1/3 rpm.Music Inn, also called the Music Barn, was an inn, performance venue, and the summer program of jazz education for the Lenox School of Jazz, in Lenox Massachusetts.
Description (Brief)

various artists. Historic Jazz Concert at Music Inn (Atlantic 1298).
33-1/3 rpm.

Music Inn, also called the Music Barn, was an inn, performance venue, and the summer program of jazz education for the Lenox School of Jazz, in Lenox Massachusetts. From 1957-1960, the school featuring faculty including Dizzy Gillespie, Jimmy Giuffre, Percy Heath, and Connie Kayvenue. The performance venue and inn was in in operation from 1950–1979.

Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1956
manufacturer
Atlantic
ID Number
1978.0670.801
maker number
1298
accession number
1978.0670
catalog number
1978.0670.801
This sheet music is for the song “Oh! How I Hate to Get Up in The Morning,” by Irving Berlin. It was published by Waterson, Berlin and Snyder Co. in New York, New York in 1918.
Description
This sheet music is for the song “Oh! How I Hate to Get Up in The Morning,” by Irving Berlin. It was published by Waterson, Berlin and Snyder Co. in New York, New York in 1918. The cover features an image of a WWI soldier and an inset of American comedian, singer, dancer, actor, and song writer Eddie Cantor, who performed this song in Ziegfeld Follies on Broadway.
Location
Currently not on view
publishing date
1918
publisher
Waterson, Berlin & Snyder Co.
ID Number
1985.0392.12
accession number
1985.0392
catalog number
1985.0392.12
This sheet music is for the song “Canary Bird Waltz,” by William Withers, Jr. It was published by Marsh in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1857.
Description
This sheet music is for the song “Canary Bird Waltz,” by William Withers, Jr. It was published by Marsh in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1857. The cover indicates that this song was performed with “great success” by Wither’s Cornet Band at the Metropolitan Mechanics Fair.
Location
Currently not on view
publishing date
1857
publisher
Marsh
ID Number
1986.0588.04
accession number
1986.0588
catalog number
1986.0588.04
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1964
depicted (sitter)
Harrison, George
maker
Topps Chewing Gum
ID Number
1987.0717.08.02
accession number
1987.0717
catalog number
1987.0717.08.02
This Patron badge is from the Los Angeles Classic Jazz Festival, in 1994. The button is a made of speckled gold paper with black lettering covered with a clear film, on a round two-piece metal button with a pin back. There is a black ribbon attached to the back of the button.
Description

This Patron badge is from the Los Angeles Classic Jazz Festival, in 1994. The button is a made of speckled gold paper with black lettering covered with a clear film, on a round two-piece metal button with a pin back. There is a black ribbon attached to the back of the button. The button is printed:

LOS ANGELES
CLASSIC
JAZZ
FLOYD
LEVIN
FESTIVAL
1994

(the ribbon is printed):

PATRON

Floyd Levin (1922-2007) was a Los Angeles textile manufacturer who turned his passion for jazz into a second career as an influential jazz journalist and historian. His numerous reviews, profiles, and articles were published in magazines such as Down Beat, Jazz Journal International, Metronome, and American Rag. He also authored Classic Jazz: A Personal View of the Music and the Musicians. Items in this collection (2011.3086) were acquired from Levin’s attendance at Jazz Festivals, conferences, and other music events.

Location
Currently not on view
date made
1994
user
Levin, Floyd
ID Number
2011.3086.130
nonaccession number
2011.3086
catalog number
2011.0386.130
This music box disc was made by Regina Music Box Co. in Rahway, New Jersey, around 1901-1902. It is Regina Disc #1881 - "The Wedding of the Reuben and the Maid," music by Maurice Levi and lyrcis by Harry Bache Smith.
Description

This music box disc was made by Regina Music Box Co. in Rahway, New Jersey, around 1901-1902. It is Regina Disc #1881 - "The Wedding of the Reuben and the Maid," music by Maurice Levi and lyrcis by Harry Bache Smith. This disc is playable in a Regina Disc Music Box that can accommodate a 15-1/2” diameter disc.

This disc features the following patents:

U. S. Patent #417649, dated December 17, 1889 by Oskar Paul Lochmann for a music plate for mechanical instruments.

U. S. Patent #500374, dated June 27, 1893 by Gustav A. Brachhausen and Paul Riessner for a note-plate for music boxes.

Location
Currently not on view
manufacturing date
1901-1902
manufacturer
Regina Music Box Company
ID Number
MI.378567.09
catalog number
378567.09
accession number
144168
Frank and James McCravy. side 1: The Dollar and the Devil; side 2: The Great Judgment Morning (Columbia 15544-D).78 rpm.Currently not on view
Description
Frank and James McCravy. side 1: The Dollar and the Devil; side 2: The Great Judgment Morning (Columbia 15544-D).
78 rpm.
Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1930
recording artist
McCravy, James
McCravy, Frank
manufacturer
Columbia
ID Number
1996.0320.20844
catalog number
1996.0320.20844
accession number
1996.0320
label number
15544-D
Herb Cook. side 1: I Wonder Why; side 2: Just a Little Happiness (Columbia 15778-D).78 rpm.Currently not on view
Description
Herb Cook. side 1: I Wonder Why; side 2: Just a Little Happiness (Columbia 15778-D).
78 rpm.
Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1931
recording artist
Cook, Herb
manufacturer
Columbia
ID Number
1996.0320.13828
collector/donor number
10137
maker number
15778-D
accession number
1996.0320
catalog number
1996.0320.13828
Bush Brothers. side 1: I'll Make It My Home; side 2: A Look Inside the Glory Gate (Columbia 15649-D).78 rpm.Currently not on view
Description
Bush Brothers. side 1: I'll Make It My Home; side 2: A Look Inside the Glory Gate (Columbia 15649-D).
78 rpm.
Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1930
recording artist
Bush Brothers
manufacturer
Columbia
ID Number
1996.0320.12592
collector/donor number
3108
maker number
15649-D
accession number
1996.0320
catalog number
1996.0320.12592
Charles Brooks. side 1: Baby; side 2: My Mammy's Cabin (Columbia 15733-D).78 rpm.Currently not on view
Description
Charles Brooks. side 1: Baby; side 2: My Mammy's Cabin (Columbia 15733-D).
78 rpm.
Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1931
recording artist
Brooks, Charles
manufacturer
Columbia
ID Number
1996.0320.12273
collector/donor number
8788
maker number
15733-D
accession number
1996.0320
catalog number
1996.0320.12273
Ganus Brothers Quartet. side 1: Have a Sunny Smile; side 2: Rejoice In God (Columbia 15390-D).78 rpm.Currently not on view
Description
Ganus Brothers Quartet. side 1: Have a Sunny Smile; side 2: Rejoice In God (Columbia 15390-D).
78 rpm.
Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1928
recording artist
Ganus Brothers Quartette
manufacturer
Columbia
ID Number
1996.0320.16517
label number
15390-D
accession number
1996.0320
catalog number
1996.0320.16517
Ma Rainey. side 1: Dream Blues; side 2: Lost Wandering Blues (Paramount 12098).78 rpm.Currently not on view
Description
Ma Rainey. side 1: Dream Blues; side 2: Lost Wandering Blues (Paramount 12098).
78 rpm.
Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1924
recording artist
Rainey, Ma
manufacturer
Paramount
ID Number
1996.0320.17581
accession number
1996.0320
maker number
12098
catalog number
1996.0320.17581

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