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.

Date: 2000s

Annie Get Your Gun

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
2000
ID Number
2005.3021.095

Mother Maybelle and the Carter Family

Maybelle Carter (1909-1978) was an original member of the performing Carter Family. After the breakup of that group in 1943, she formed a new act, known as Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters, with daughters Helen (1927-1998) shown here on accordian, June and Anita.
Description
Maybelle Carter (1909-1978) was an original member of the performing Carter Family. After the breakup of that group in 1943, she formed a new act, known as Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters, with daughters Helen (1927-1998) shown here on accordian, June and Anita. Maybelle was an influential presence, particularly as the originator of a style of guitar playing emulated by Leadbelly, Woodie Guthrie, and many other musicians.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1973
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.079
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.079

Ernest Tubb arriving at music venue

For much of his career, Ernest Tubb, the "Texas Troubadour" was considered the ultimate honky tonk vocalist and stylist. Inspired by Jimmie Rodgers in the 1920s, Tubb sustained a musical career that at times also branched into film and television.
Description
For much of his career, Ernest Tubb, the "Texas Troubadour" was considered the ultimate honky tonk vocalist and stylist. Inspired by Jimmie Rodgers in the 1920s, Tubb sustained a musical career that at times also branched into film and television. No artist toured as much, or for as long as Ernest Tubb, who worked 150 to 200 shows each year between the early 1960s and 1982. No artist was kinder to his fans, and no fans were more loyal to their star. Ernest Tubb had one national fan club with a single president for its entire existence between 1944 and its deactivation in the early 1990s.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1973
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.084
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.084

Hughes Family Show

Many acts in country music were built around brother duos and family members.Currently not on view
Description
Many acts in country music were built around brother duos and family members.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1972
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.007
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.007

Johnson Mountain Boys

The Johnson Mountain Boys was a traditional bluegrass band formed in the Washington, D.C. suburbs in the 1970s. Its members were vocalist, banjoist, and guitarist Dudley Connell, David McLauglin, fiddler Eddie Stubbs, and bassist Larry Robbins.
Description
The Johnson Mountain Boys was a traditional bluegrass band formed in the Washington, D.C. suburbs in the 1970s. Its members were vocalist, banjoist, and guitarist Dudley Connell, David McLauglin, fiddler Eddie Stubbs, and bassist Larry Robbins. Connell worked for Smithsonian Folkways for a time and Stubbs went on to host the Grand Ole Opry.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1981
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.030
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.030

Mamma Mia!

This playbill is for the musical, Mamma Mia!, with book by Catherine Johnson, and music and lyrics by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. It is from the production at the Cadillac Winter Garden Theatre in 2002. Mamma Mia!
Description (Brief)
This playbill is for the musical, Mamma Mia!, with book by Catherine Johnson, and music and lyrics by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. It is from the production at the Cadillac Winter Garden Theatre in 2002. Mamma Mia! opened on October 18, 2001 at the Winter Garden Theatre and closed on September 12, 2015 at the Broadhurst Theatre, for a total of 5,758 performances.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2002
ID Number
2005.3021.097.2
nonaccession number
2005.3021
catalog number
2005.3021.097.2

Mardi Gras 2000 Button

This button is from The Fresno Dixieland Society Mardi Gras festival in Fresno, California, in 2000. It is a made of white paper with multi-color printing covered with a clear film, on a round metal button with a pin back.
Description

This button is from The Fresno Dixieland Society Mardi Gras festival in Fresno, California, in 2000. It is a made of white paper with multi-color printing covered with a clear film, on a round metal button with a pin back. The button is printed:

MARDI GRAS 2000
[image of jester]
"LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL!" Fresno Dixieland Society

The Fresno Dixieland Society sponsors an annual weekend-long Mardi Gras festival with parades, performances, and dances featuring traditional jazz. The festival is held at several venues throughout Fresno.

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
2000
user
Levin, Floyd
ID Number
2011.3086.109
nonaccession number
2011.3086
catalog number
2011.3086.109

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

Program: Macbeth

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2007
ID Number
2016.3009.290
nonaccession number
2016.3009
catalog number
2016.3009.290

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

Playbill: 6oth Annual Tony Awards

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2006
ID Number
2016.3009.299
nonaccession number
2016.3009
catalog number
2016.3009.299

Dress, worn by Ruth Fernandez

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
20th Century
ID Number
2002.0354.01
accession number
2002.0354
catalog number
2002.0354.01

letter

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2002
ID Number
2016.0032.121
accession number
2016.0032
catalog number
2016.0032.121

Playbill: 42nd Street

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2002
ID Number
2016.3009.306
nonaccession number
2016.3009
catalog number
2016.3009.306

Sacramento Jazz Jubilee Badge

This badge is from the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee Festival, in 2001. The button is a made of yellow paper with black and white lettering covered with a clear film, on a round two-piece metal button with a pin back. There is a rectangular hole in the button for a name tag.
Description

This badge is from the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee Festival, in 2001. The button is a made of yellow paper with black and white lettering covered with a clear film, on a round two-piece metal button with a pin back. There is a rectangular hole in the button for a name tag. There is red ribbon attached to the back of the button. The button is printed:

SACRAMENTO
[image of riverboat]
Floyd Levin
JAZZ JUBILEE
2002

(The ribbon is printed):

EMPEROR
1985

The Sacramento Music Festival (formerly the Old Sacramento Dixieland Jazz Jubilee) was an annual event held every Memorial Day weekend in Sacramento, California. Organized by the Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society, the festival was launched in 1974 and presented its final festival in 2017.

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
2002
user
Levin, Floyd
ID Number
2011.3086.136
nonaccession number
2011.3086
catalog number
2011.3086.136

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

Hairspray

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
2002
ID Number
2005.3021.096

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