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 1943 items.
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Prince's Yellow Cloud Electric Guitar
- Description
- Custom-made in 1989 by the Minneapolis, Minn., firm of Knut-Koupee Enterprises, this Yellow-cloud electric guitar was designed and used by Prince. The musician's distinctive personal symbol adorns both the top and the side of the fingerboard. Custom work for famous instrumentalists and musicians provides an important marketing tool for small-scale guitar makers.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1989
- maker
- Haugen, Barry
- Rusan, David
- Knut-Koupee Enterprises, Inc.
- ID Number
- 1993.0435.01
- catalog number
- 1993.0435.01
- accession number
- 1993.0435
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Sound Recording
- Description
- Elvis Aron Presley (1935—1977) is one of the best-known and most influential figures in popular music. Throughout his career, Elvis incorporated pop, gospel, country, and blues elements into creating his trademark style and earning his mainstream success.
- This recording is the first of Elvis's many albums that he made for RCA. The company took a major risk in releasing a full album from this new "rock & roll" artist, as teenagers were more likely to buy 45 rpm singles than a full LP. The Elvis Presley album included recording sessions Elvis did for RCA and five previously unissued songs recorded earlier with Sun Records. After the album's release in March 1956, Elvis Presley eventually went on to become the first rock & roll album to reach number one on national record sales charts, and RCA's first million-dollar-earning pop album.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1956
- recording artist
- Presley, Elvis
- manufacturer
- RCA Victor
- ID Number
- 2000.3053.1039
- nonaccession number
- 2000.3053
- catalog number
- 2000.3053.1039
- label number
- LPM-1254
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Sound Recording, "When the Saints Go Marching In"
- Description (Brief)
- Born in New Orleans in 1901, jazz musician Louis Armstrong (d. 1971)was known for his distinctive trumpet-playing and vocal style. He often improvised jazz riffs using his voice rather than his instrument, “scatting” notes and melodies rather than singing actual words. Armstrong transformed traditional church songs like “When the Saints Go Marching In” into jazz melodies fit for brass bands. Nicknamed Satchmo, short for “satchel-mouth,” he helped popularize the solo performance in jazz music. His musical style influenced singers Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1939
- recording artist
- Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra
- maker
- Decca
- ID Number
- 1978.0670.208
- accession number
- 1978.0670
- maker number
- 25153
- catalog number
- 1978.0670.208
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
sound recording: I Can't Get Started; The Prisoner's Song
- Description (Brief)
- Bunny Berigan and his Orchestra. side 1: I CAN'T GET STARTED; side 2: THE PRISONER'S SONG (Victor 36208)
- 78 rpm
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1937
- recording artist
- Bunny Berigan and his Orchestra
- maker
- Victor
- ID Number
- 1978.0670.722
- maker number
- 36208
- accession number
- 1978.0670
- catalog number
- 1978.0670.722
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
sound recording: Without a Song; Deep River
- Description (Brief)
- Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra. side 1: WITHOUT A SONG; side 2: DEEP RIVER (Victor 36396)
- 78 rpm
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1941
- recording artist
- Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra
- maker
- Victor
- ID Number
- 1978.0670.723
- maker number
- 36396
- accession number
- 1978.0670
- catalog number
- 1978.0670.723
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
sound recording: The Little Goose; Zaza
- Description (Brief)
- Rex Stewart's Big Eight. side 1: THE LITTLE GOOSE; side 2: ZAZA (Mercury 1101)
- 78 rpm
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1944
- recording artist
- Rex Stewart's Big Eight
- maker
- Mercury
- ID Number
- 1978.0670.724
- maker number
- 1101
- accession number
- 1978.0670
- catalog number
- 1978.0670.724
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
sound recording: Bugle Call Rag; Solid Rock
- Description (Brief)
- Rex Stewart's Big Seven. side 1: BUGLE CALL RAG; side 2: SOLID ROCK (H.R.S. 2005)
- 78 rpm
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1940
- recording artist
- Rex Stewart's Big Seven
- maker
- H.R.S.
- ID Number
- 1978.0670.725
- maker number
- 2005
- accession number
- 1978.0670
- catalog number
- 1978.0670.725
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
sound recording: If I Could Be With You; That's a Plenty
- Description (Brief)
- Bechet-Spanier Big Four. side 1: IF I COULD BE WITH YOU; side 2: THAT'S A PLENTY (H.R.S. 2002)
- 78 rpm
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1940
- recording artist
- Bechet-Spanier Big Four
- maker
- H.R.S.
- ID Number
- 1978.0670.726
- maker number
- 2002
- accession number
- 1978.0670
- catalog number
- 1978.0670.726
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
sound recording: Lazy River; Sweet Lorraine
- Description (Brief)
- Bechet-Spanier Big Four. side 1: LAZY RIVER; side 2: SWEET LORRAINE (H.R.S. 2000)
- 78 rpm
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1940
- recording artist
- Bechet-Spanier Big Four
- maker
- H.R.S.
- ID Number
- 1978.0670.727
- maker number
- 2000
- accession number
- 1978.0670
- catalog number
- 1978.0670.727
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
sound recording: Cherry; Diga Diga Do
- Description (Brief)
- Rex Stewart's Big Seven. side 1: CHERRY; side 2: DIGA DIGA DO (H.R.S. 2004)
- 78 rpm
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1940
- recording artist
- Rex Stewart's Big Seven
- maker
- H.R.S.
- ID Number
- 1978.0670.728
- maker number
- 2004
- accession number
- 1978.0670
- catalog number
- 1978.0670.728
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
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