Popular Entertainment

Elvis Presley Record

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.

Resource Type: Photographs

Autographed Photograph of Phyllis Diller

Color photograph of Phyllis Diller in dress worn in comedy routine by Phyllis Diller in Vietnam on a USO Christmas tour with Bob Hope in 1966. (Cat. 2003.0289.05.01). Signed by Phyller Diller, "To Ruth."Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Color photograph of Phyllis Diller in dress worn in comedy routine by Phyllis Diller in Vietnam on a USO Christmas tour with Bob Hope in 1966. (Cat. 2003.0289.05.01). Signed by Phyller Diller, "To Ruth."
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1966
depicted (sitter)
Diller, Phyllis
ID Number
2017.0191.10
accession number
2017.0191
catalog number
2017.0191.10

Tex Ritter and Fans

A man sells Tex Ritter photographs to fans waiting for his autograph.Currently not on view
Description
A man sells Tex Ritter photographs to fans waiting for his autograph.
Location
Currently not on view
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.066
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.066

Jeannie C. Riley

Best known for her crossover hit, "Harper Valley PTA," Jeannie C. Riley (b. 1945) is pictured her on her tour bus.Currently not on view
Description
Best known for her crossover hit, "Harper Valley PTA," Jeannie C. Riley (b. 1945) is pictured her on her tour bus.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1973
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.033
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.033

Minnie Pearl and Pee Wee King

"How-dee! Ah'm so glad to be here," may be one of the most familiar and beloved radio greetings, Minnie Pearl (Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon, 1912-1996) ranked among the premier comedians on the Grand Ole Opry and in country music.
Description
"How-dee! Ah'm so glad to be here," may be one of the most familiar and beloved radio greetings, Minnie Pearl (Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon, 1912-1996) ranked among the premier comedians on the Grand Ole Opry and in country music. For decades she entertained audiences with gossip about the residents of her fictional town, Grinder's Switch. She joined the Opry in 1940 and later went on to star in the television show Hee Haw in the 1970s.
Minnie Pearl's costume consisting of her famous straw hat with the dangling price tag, the pink and white gingham dress, and maryjane-style shoes became part of the National Museum of Amercian History's collection after she donated them in 1993.
Location
Currently not on view
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.050
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.050

Alfred Hitchcock

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1957
depicted (sitter)
Hitchcock, Alfred
maker
Avery, Sid
ID Number
2002.0386.02
accession number
2002.0386
catalog number
2002.0386.02

Stringbean

Nationally known by the 1950s, "Stringbean" David Akeman (1915-1973) was a country comedian and exceptional banjo player. He is credited with reviving interest in the banjo in bluegrass and country music.
Description
Nationally known by the 1950s, "Stringbean" David Akeman (1915-1973) was a country comedian and exceptional banjo player. He is credited with reviving interest in the banjo in bluegrass and country music. He made his first banjo from a shoebox and string, and later went on to play with Bill Monroe's Band. Uncle Dave Macon mentioned Stringbean in classic jokes and traditional tunes, and was among the first Opry members to join the cast of Hee Haw. Publicity photographs in the background of this picture include Jean Shepherd, Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper, Stringbean himself, Bobby Lord, Bill Anderson, Flatt and Scruggs, the Browns, and the Four Guys.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1972
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.031
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.031

Roy Acuff

Often called the King of Country Music, Roy Acuff (1903-1992) had a career as a performer and as the first publisher of country sheet music. His first break came with his recording of "The Great Speckled Bird" in 1936.
Description
Often called the King of Country Music, Roy Acuff (1903-1992) had a career as a performer and as the first publisher of country sheet music. His first break came with his recording of "The Great Speckled Bird" in 1936. In 1937 Acuff became a regular member of the Grand Ole Opry, and his relatonship with the Opry and its fans lasted for the rest of his life.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1973
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.041
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.041

Tootsies' Bartender

Bartender Wanda Lohman, known as "Miss Wanda," worked at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge from 1960 to 1984. The walls of Tootsie's became a kind of community scrapbook. Tootsie, like her patrons, was a fan of country music.
Description
Bartender Wanda Lohman, known as "Miss Wanda," worked at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge from 1960 to 1984. The walls of Tootsie's became a kind of community scrapbook. Tootsie, like her patrons, was a fan of country music. She collected autographs, posters, record albums, and photographs. Patrons, family, and friends contributed their comments and added photos.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1974
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.107
catalog number
2003.0169.107
accession number
2003.0169

George Jones

George Jones (b.1931) is considered by many to be one of the best and most influential vocalists in country music history. His first hit was "Why Baby Why" in the summer of 1955.Currently not on view
Description
George Jones (b.1931) is considered by many to be one of the best and most influential vocalists in country music history. His first hit was "Why Baby Why" in the summer of 1955.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1981
print
2003
Associated Name
Jones, George
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.099
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.099

Wall with Roy Acuff Poster

Often called the "King of Country Music." Roy Acuff had a career that spanned many facets of the music business, as a performer and as the first publisher of country sheet music. His first break came with his recording of "The Great Speckled Bird," in 1936.
Description
Often called the "King of Country Music." Roy Acuff had a career that spanned many facets of the music business, as a performer and as the first publisher of country sheet music. His first break came with his recording of "The Great Speckled Bird," in 1936. In 1937, he became a regular member of the Grand Ole Opry, and his relationship with the Opry and its fans would last the rest of his life.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1972
print
2003
recording artist
Acuff, Roy
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.110
catalog number
2003.0169.110
accession number
2003.0169

Jethro Burns

Jethro Burns (1920-1989) was half of the Grammy-winning country comedy duo, Homer and Jethro, which performed from 1936 to 1971.
Description
Jethro Burns (1920-1989) was half of the Grammy-winning country comedy duo, Homer and Jethro, which performed from 1936 to 1971. Such hits as "I've Got Tears in My Ears from Lying on My Back in Bed While I Cry Over You," reveal his sense of humor more than his exceptional and influential mandolin playing.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1976
print
2003
Associated Name
Burns, Jethro
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.102
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.102

Tex Ritter and Fans

Henry Horenstein's photograph of this multigenerational crowd shows that fans of country music are not defined by age, but rather by choice of performers and styles of country music.
Description
Henry Horenstein's photograph of this multigenerational crowd shows that fans of country music are not defined by age, but rather by choice of performers and styles of country music. Although Tex Ritter (Woodward Maurice Ritter, 1905-1975) attained most of his fame as a Hollywood singing cowboy in the 1930s and 1940s, he still performed into the 1970s. Ritter won an Academy Award in 1953 for the best theme song, "High Noon," for the movie of the same name.
Location
Currently not on view
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.063
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.063

Arlo Guthrie

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1971
depicted (sitter)
Guthrie, Arlo
maker
Powers, Mark James
ID Number
2013.0222.30
catalog number
2013.0222.30
accession number
2013.0222

Kitty Wells

The "Queen of Country Music," Kitty Wells, (Ellen Muriel Deason, b. 1918) emerged in 1952 as the first female country vocalist to win and sustain major stardom.
Description
The "Queen of Country Music," Kitty Wells, (Ellen Muriel Deason, b. 1918) emerged in 1952 as the first female country vocalist to win and sustain major stardom. Her release, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels,"--a lyrical response to Hank Thompson's "The Wild Side of Life"--was a hit. Wells and her husband, Johnny Wright, continued to work a full schedule well into the 1990s.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1983
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.073
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.073

Jerry Lee Lewis

Jerry Lee Lewis (b. 1935) one of the first rockabilly artists, was known for his hit songs "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" (1957) and "Great Balls of Fire" (1961).
Description
Jerry Lee Lewis (b. 1935) one of the first rockabilly artists, was known for his hit songs "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" (1957) and "Great Balls of Fire" (1961). Lewis's flamboyant style and sound grew out of his Louisiana upbringing, a mix of traditional country and gospel, boogie woogie on the radio, and music he heard at his uncle's honky-tonk.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1975
print
2003
Associated Name
Lewis, Jerry Lee
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.101
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.101

Bob Dylan's Desk at the Castle

With her camera, Lisa Law documented history in the heart of the counterculture revolution of the 1960s as she lived it, as a participant, an agent of change and a member of the broader culture.
Description
With her camera, Lisa Law documented history in the heart of the counterculture revolution of the 1960s as she lived it, as a participant, an agent of change and a member of the broader culture. She recorded this unconventional time of Anti-War demonstrations in California, communes, Love-Ins, peace marches and concerts, as well as her family life as she became a wife and mother. The photographs were collected by William Yeingst and Shannon Perich in a cross-unit collecting collaboration. Together they selected over two hundred photographs relevant to photographic history, cultural history, domestic life and social history.
Law’s portraiture and concert photographs include Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Lovin Spoonful and Peter, Paul and Mary. She also took several of Janis Joplin and her band Big Brother and the Holding Company, including the photograph used to create the poster included in the Smithsonian’s American Art Museum’s exhibition 1001 Days and Nights in American Art. Law and other members of the Hog Farm were involved in the logistics of setting up the well-known musical extravaganza, Woodstock. Her photographs include the teepee poles going into the hold of the plane, a few concert scenes and amenities like the kitchen and medical tent. Other photographs include peace rallies and concerts in Haight-Ashbury, Coretta Scott King speaking at an Anti-War protest and portraits of Allen Ginsburg and Timothy Leary. From her life in New Mexico the photographs include yoga sessions with Yogi Bhajan, bus races, parades and other public events. From life on the New Buffalo Commune, there are many pictures of her family and friends taken during meal preparation and eating, farming, building, playing, giving birth and caring for children.
Ms. Law did not realize how important her photographs were while she was taking them. It was not until after she divorced her husband, left the farm for Santa Fe and began a career as a photographer that she realized the depth of history she recorded. Today, she spends her time writing books, showing her photographs in museums all over the United States and making documentaries. In 1990, her video documentary, “Flashing on the Sixties,” won several awards.
A selection of photographs was featured in the exhibition A Visual Journey: Photographs by Lisa Law, 1964–1971, at the National Museum of American History October 1998-April 1999.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1966
user
Dylan, Bob
maker
Law, Lisa Bachelis
ID Number
1998.0139.023
accession number
1998.0139
catalog number
1998.0139.23

Program Seller

The program seller, "Black Cat" was a familiar face to many in Nashville.Currently not on view
Description
The program seller, "Black Cat" was a familiar face to many in Nashville.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1972
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.059
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.059

Fiddlin' Sid Harkreader

Sidney J. "Fiddlin' Sid" Harkreader (1898-1988) was well-known as the fiddler and vocalist who accompanied Uncle Dave Macon from the earliest days of the Grand Ole Opry.Currently not on view
Description
Sidney J. "Fiddlin' Sid" Harkreader (1898-1988) was well-known as the fiddler and vocalist who accompanied Uncle Dave Macon from the earliest days of the Grand Ole Opry.
Location
Currently not on view
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.046
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.046

Hank Snow

Born Clarence Eugene Snow (1914-1999) and known as "The Singing Ranger," Hank Snow possessed one of the most distinctive voices and styles in country music.
Description
Born Clarence Eugene Snow (1914-1999) and known as "The Singing Ranger," Hank Snow possessed one of the most distinctive voices and styles in country music. Rooted in the folk songs of his native Canada, Snow's music included the "blue yodels" of his idol Jimmie Rodgers, cowboy songs, Tin Pan Alley standards, and songs written by himself and other Nashville tunesmiths. In 1951, he and Anita Carter hit the record charts with "Bluebird Island" and its B-side, "Down the Trail of Achin' Hearts."
Location
Currently not on view
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.053
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.053

Lester Flatt

Lester Flatt ranks as one of the all-time preeminent lead singers in bluegrass music.
Description
Lester Flatt ranks as one of the all-time preeminent lead singers in bluegrass music. He spent the major years of his career, from 1948 to 1969, as half of the legendary team of Flatt & Scruggs, but also had some notable earlier experience as a sideman, including as a member of Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys, and led his own group in the 1970s. He regularly performed on the Grand Ole Opry and appeared often on the festival circuit.
Location
Currently not on view
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.045
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.045

"Hot Nuts" Fred's Lounge, Mamou, Louisiana

Fred's Lounge was a well-known honky-tonk in the heart of Cajun country. The bar opened at 7 a.m. on Saturday mornings to host the droves of visitors who came to hear the local bands that played from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.Currently not on view
Description
Fred's Lounge was a well-known honky-tonk in the heart of Cajun country. The bar opened at 7 a.m. on Saturday mornings to host the droves of visitors who came to hear the local bands that played from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1977
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.039
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.039

Henry Horenstein with Maybelle Carter

Photographer Henry Horenstein stands with Mother Maybelle Carter for photograph.Currently not on view
Description
Photographer Henry Horenstein stands with Mother Maybelle Carter for photograph.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1973
print
2003
Associated Name
Horenstein, Henry
Carter, Mother Maybelle
maker
Horenstein, Henry
Rosenburg, Lewis
ID Number
2003.0169.093
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.093

Tootsie at Closing Time

Tootsie [Hattie Louise Tatum Bess, d. 1978] took out her whistle at closing time. If that didn't work to get customers out the door, she used a jeweled hair pin--given to her by singer Charlie Pride--to give them a prod.
Description
Tootsie [Hattie Louise Tatum Bess, d. 1978] took out her whistle at closing time. If that didn't work to get customers out the door, she used a jeweled hair pin--given to her by singer Charlie Pride--to give them a prod. Her contribution to country music has been immortalized in song. "She's Known the greats and nearly greats and some that never made it./If there's a thing of paying dues, well Tootsie's surely paid it. She's got all of their pictures hanging all around./But, what's Tootsie gonna do when they tear the Ryman down?" "What's Tootsie Gonna Do (When They Tear the Ryman Down)" By Bill Sterling and John E. Denny
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1974
print
2003
Associated Name
Bess, "Tootsie" Hattie Louise Tatum
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.106
catalog number
2003.0169.106
accession number
2003.0169

Osborne Brothers

After performing individually with Jimmy Martin, Bill Monroe, and other headliners in the 1940s, Sonny (b.1937) and Bobby (b. 1931) Osborne became one of the most popular and innovative bluegrass groups of the postwar era.
Description
After performing individually with Jimmy Martin, Bill Monroe, and other headliners in the 1940s, Sonny (b.1937) and Bobby (b. 1931) Osborne became one of the most popular and innovative bluegrass groups of the postwar era. Experimenting in the mid-1960s, they added piano, steel guitar, and electric instruments. While these ventures angered traditionalists, their innovative sound attracted a new younger audience to country music.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1974
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.040
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.040

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