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.

Gene Autry. side 1: Mexicali Rose; side 2: South of the Border (Down Mexico Way) (Columbia 37185), from the album, Gene Autry's Western Classics (Columbia C 120).78 rpm.Currently not on view
Description
Gene Autry. side 1: Mexicali Rose; side 2: South of the Border (Down Mexico Way) (Columbia 37185), from the album, Gene Autry's Western Classics (Columbia C 120).
78 rpm.
Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1946
release date
1947
recording artist
Autry, Gene
manufacturer
Columbia
ID Number
1996.0320.05057
maker number
37185
C 120
accession number
1996.0320
catalog number
1996.0320.05057
Benny Goodman Quartet. side 1: Stompin' at the Savoy; side 2: Vibraphone Blues (Victor 25521).78 rpm.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Benny Goodman Quartet. side 1: Stompin' at the Savoy; side 2: Vibraphone Blues (Victor 25521).
78 rpm.
Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1936
recording artist
Benny Goodman Quartet
manufacturer
Victor
ID Number
1988.0698.1095
catalog number
1988.0698.1095
accession number
1988.0698
collector/donor number
G67
maker number
25521
Mack Allen. side 1: A Warning to Boys; side 2: A Warning to Girls (Harmony 729-H)78 rpmMack Allen is a pseudonym on Harmony for Vernon Dalhart.Harmony Records was a division of Columbia Records from 1925 to 1932.
Description

Mack Allen. side 1: A Warning to Boys; side 2: A Warning to Girls (Harmony 729-H)
78 rpm

Mack Allen is a pseudonym on Harmony for Vernon Dalhart.

Harmony Records was a division of Columbia Records from 1925 to 1932. It was a budget label that was comprised of original recordings identical to that of Columbia’s other budget labels, Velvet Tone Records and Diva Records.

Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1928
recording artist
Allen, Mack
Dalhart, Vernon
manufacturer
Harmony
ID Number
1996.0320.10445
collector/donor number
12912
maker number
729-H
accession number
1996.0320
catalog number
1996.0320.10445
Jelly Roll Morton. side 1: Honky Tonk Blues I; side 2: Honky Tonk Blues II (Circle 87/88), from the album, Jelly Roll Morton, Volume 12: I'm the Winin' Boy (Circle Limited Edition #306).78 rpm.This recording is part of a limited edition 45 twelve-inch record set, The Saga of Mr.
Description

Jelly Roll Morton. side 1: Honky Tonk Blues I; side 2: Honky Tonk Blues II (Circle 87/88), from the album, Jelly Roll Morton, Volume 12: I'm the Winin' Boy (Circle Limited Edition #306).
78 rpm.

This recording is part of a limited edition 45 twelve-inch record set, The Saga of Mr. Jelly Lord. The set is comprised of interviews and musical performances of musician Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton (1890-1941) recorded by American ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax (1915-2002) at the Coolidge Auditorium, Library of Congress, from May 23, 1938 to December 14, 1938. In the interviews, Morton recounts his experiences, both in New Orleans and on the road, as a popular musician of the early twentieth century.

The Saga of Mr. Jelly Lord limited edition record set was issued by Circle Sound Inc., incrementally with two albums every three months, beginning in late 1947. The recordings were pressed on red vinylite. Album design and typography for this set was by Jimmy Ernst (born Hans-Ulrich Ernst, 1920-1984), a German-born American painter.

Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1938
recording artist
Morton, Jelly Roll
manufacturer
Circle
ID Number
1988.0698.2607
catalog number
1988.0698.2607
accession number
1988.0698
maker number
JM-87
JM-88
serial number
306
J. Stratton Shufelt. side 1: Overshadowed; side 2: The Old Ship Zion (Fellowship Music FM 019/020), from the album, Strat Sings (Fellowship Music 1).78 rpm.Currently not on view
Description
J. Stratton Shufelt. side 1: Overshadowed; side 2: The Old Ship Zion (Fellowship Music FM 019/020), from the album, Strat Sings (Fellowship Music 1).
78 rpm.
Location
Currently not on view
recording artist
Shufelt, J. Stratton
manufacturer
Fellowship Music
ID Number
1996.0320.05267
maker number
FM 019/020
FM 1
accession number
1996.0320
catalog number
1996.0320.05267
side 1: Lyn Murray and his Orchestra. Whistle While You Work; side 2: Lyn Murray and his Orchestra with Evelyn Knight and Andy Love Four.
Description
side 1: Lyn Murray and his Orchestra. Whistle While You Work; side 2: Lyn Murray and his Orchestra with Evelyn Knight and Andy Love Four. Bluddle-Uddle-Um-Dum (The Washing Song) (Decca 23327), from the album, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Decca A-368).
78 rpm.
Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1944
recording artist
Lyn Murray and his Orchestra
Knight, Evelyn
Andy Love Four
manufacturer
Decca
ID Number
1979.1023.115
accession number
1979.1023
maker number
23327
A-368
catalog number
1979.1023.115
F. Carlton Booth. side 1: Singing; side 2: Gethsemane (Singspiration 1040), from the album, Singing (Singspiration 4). 78 rpm.Currently not on view
Description
F. Carlton Booth. side 1: Singing; side 2: Gethsemane (Singspiration 1040), from the album, Singing (Singspiration 4).
78 rpm.
Location
Currently not on view
release date
ca 1947
recording artist
Booth, F. Carlton
manufacturer
Singspiration
ID Number
1996.0320.05025
maker number
1040
4
accession number
1996.0320
catalog number
1996.0320.05025
Johnny Otis Orchestra. side 1: Turkey Hop [part 1]; side 2: Turkey Hop [part 2] (Savoy 732).78 rpm.Currently not on view
Description
Johnny Otis Orchestra. side 1: Turkey Hop [part 1]; side 2: Turkey Hop [part 2] (Savoy 732).
78 rpm.
Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1950
recording artist
Johnny Otis Orchestra
manufacturer
Savoy
ID Number
1991.0305.250
maker number
732
catalog number
1991.0305.250
accession number
1991.0305
Jelly Roll Morton. side 1: King Porter Stomp; side 2: The Pearls (Brunswick 80067), from the album, A King of the Piano, Volume One (Brunswick B-1018).78 rpm. Both tracks were originally recorded in 1926 and released on Vocalian 1020.
Description
Jelly Roll Morton. side 1: King Porter Stomp; side 2: The Pearls (Brunswick 80067), from the album, A King of the Piano, Volume One (Brunswick B-1018).
78 rpm. Both tracks were originally recorded in 1926 and released on Vocalian 1020. This pressing was released in 1945.
Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1926
release date
1945
recording artist
Morton, Jelly Roll
manufacturer
Brunswick
ID Number
1979.1023.091
maker number
80067
B-1018
accession number
1979.1023
catalog number
1979.1023.091
The Rooftop Singers. side 1: Tom Cat; side 2: Shoes (Vanguard VRS-35019)45 rpm. Accessioned with original printed sleeve.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
The Rooftop Singers. side 1: Tom Cat; side 2: Shoes (Vanguard VRS-35019)
45 rpm. Accessioned with original printed sleeve.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1963
manufacturer
Vanguard
ID Number
1996.3034.06722
label number
VRS-35019
catalog number
1996.3034.06722
nonaccession number
1996.3034
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1985
recording artist
Newton-John, Olivia
manufacturer
MCA
ID Number
1996.3034.05603
catalog number
1996.3034.05603
label number
MCA-52686
nonaccession number
1996.3034
Oak Ridge Quartet. side 1: No Tears in Heaven; side 2: Old Time Religion (Capitol 48023), from the album, Songs from The Grand Ole Opry (Capitol AD 86).78 rpm.The cover art for this album was made by Carlos Andreson.
Description

Oak Ridge Quartet. side 1: No Tears in Heaven; side 2: Old Time Religion (Capitol 48023), from the album, Songs from The Grand Ole Opry (Capitol AD 86).
78 rpm.

The cover art for this album was made by Carlos Andreson. Andreson, also as Anderson, (1905-1978) was an American painter, lithographer, and teacher. A native of Salt Lake City, Utah, Andreson studied at the University of Utah, then subsequently in Los Angeles, New York, Paris, and Berlin. In 1933, Andreson returned to the United States, creating paintings and drawings of early pioneer life for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and teaching at Utah Arts Center. After the start of WWII, Anderson was commissioned by Abbott Laboratories to paint medical subjects at the stateside Naval hospitals. Andreson moved to San Francisco after the war where he produced artwork for the Oakland Army Base.

Location
Currently not on view
release date
1948
recording artist
Oak Ridge Quartet
manufacturer
Capitol
ID Number
1996.0320.05119
maker number
48023
AD 86
accession number
1996.0320
catalog number
1996.0320.05119
various artists. The Hot Ones! (Columbia Special Products XTV 88513).33-1/3 rpmThis record was made by Columbia Special Products for the Johnson Brothers Motor Company.
Description (Brief)

various artists. The Hot Ones! (Columbia Special Products XTV 88513).
33-1/3 rpm

This record was made by Columbia Special Products for the Johnson Brothers Motor Company. It features previously released recordings and was used as a promotional tool for the Johnson Seahorse outboard motor in the 1960s.

Location
Currently not on view
release date
1960s
recording artist
Krupa, Gene
Condon, Eddie
James, Harry
Basie, Count
Ellington, Duke
Hampton, Lionel
Dukes Of Dixieland
Brubeck, Dave
Greco, Buddy
Herman, Woody
McRae, Carmen
manufacturer
Columbia Special Products
ID Number
1978.0670.784
maker number
XTV 88513
accession number
1978.0670
catalog number
1978.0670.784
Claude Bolling's French Blues Stars.
Description

Claude Bolling's French Blues Stars. side 1: You Rascal You; side 2: Nobody Knows the Way I Feel This Mornin' (Circle J-1046), from the album, Claude Bolling Jazz Band (Circle S-18).
78 rpm.

This album was designed was by Jimmy Ernst (born Hans-Ulrich Ernst, 1920-1984), a German-born American painter.

Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1948
recording artist
Claude Bolling's French Blues Stars
manufacturer
Circle
ID Number
1978.0670.475
maker number
J-1046
S-18
accession number
1978.0670
catalog number
1978.0670.475
Jimmie Rodgers. side 1: Frankie and Johnny; side 2: The Brakeman's Blues (RCA Victor 21-0044), from the album, Yodeling Yours (RCA Victor P 244), 78 rpm. Side 1 was recorded in 1929. Side 2 was recorded in 1928. The album was released in 1949.Currently not on view
Description
Jimmie Rodgers. side 1: Frankie and Johnny; side 2: The Brakeman's Blues (RCA Victor 21-0044), from the album, Yodeling Yours (RCA Victor P 244),
78 rpm. Side 1 was recorded in 1929. Side 2 was recorded in 1928. The album was released in 1949.
Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1929
1928
release date
1949
recording artist
Rodgers, Jimmie
manufacturer
RCA Victor
ID Number
1996.0320.05257
maker number
21-0044
P 244
accession number
1996.0320
catalog number
1996.0320.05257
Paul Robeson. side 1: The Purest Kind of a Guy; side 2: Joe Hil (Columbia 17357-D), from the album. Songs of Free Men (Columbia M-534).78 rpm. Both tracks were recorded in 1942. This album was released in 1943.The cover art for this album was made by Alex Steinweiss.
Description (Brief)

Paul Robeson. side 1: The Purest Kind of a Guy; side 2: Joe Hil (Columbia 17357-D), from the album. Songs of Free Men (Columbia M-534).
78 rpm. Both tracks were recorded in 1942. This album was released in 1943.

The cover art for this album was made by Alex Steinweiss. Alexander “Alex” Steinweiss (1917-2011) was an American artist and graphic designer. He was the first art director of Columbia Records, expanding the use of album covers and cover art. Steinweiss created album cover art from 1938 to 1973.

Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1942
release date
1943
recording artist
Robeson, Paul
manufacturer
Columbia
ID Number
1988.0824.25
accession number
1988.0824
maker number
M-534
catalog number
1988.0824.25
maker number
17357-D
Frankie Carle. side 1: Stumbling; side 2: Estelle (Columbbia 35571), from the album, At the Piano...Frankie Carle (Columbia C-23).78 rpm.The cover art for this album was made by Alex Steinweiss. Alexander “Alex” Steinweiss (1917-2011) was an American artist and graphic designer.
Description

Frankie Carle. side 1: Stumbling; side 2: Estelle (Columbbia 35571), from the album, At the Piano...Frankie Carle (Columbia C-23).
78 rpm.

The cover art for this album was made by Alex Steinweiss. Alexander “Alex” Steinweiss (1917-2011) was an American artist and graphic designer. He was the first art director of Columbia Records, expanding the use of album covers and cover art. Steinweiss created album cover art from 1938 to 1973.

Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1940
recording artist
Carle, Frankie
manufacturer
Columbia
ID Number
1979.1023.094
maker number
35571
C-23
accession number
1979.1023
catalog number
1979.1023.094
Jelly Roll Morton.
Description

Jelly Roll Morton. side 1: Aaron Harris [conclusion] [track 1] Robert Charles [part 1] [track 2]; side 2: Robert Charles [conclusion] (Circle JM-35/36), from the album Jelly Roll Morton, Volume 5: Bad Man Ballads (Circle Limited Edition #306).
78 rpm.

This recording is part of a limited edition 45 twelve-inch record set, The Saga of Mr. Jelly Lord. The set is comprised of interviews and musical performances of musician Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton (1890-1941) recorded by American ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax (1915-2002) at the Coolidge Auditorium, Library of Congress, from May 23, 1938 to December 14, 1938. In the interviews, Morton recounts his experiences, both in New Orleans and on the road, as a popular musician of the early twentieth century.

The Saga of Mr. Jelly Lord limited edition record set was issued by Circle Sound Inc., incrementally with two albums every three months, beginning in late 1947. The recordings were pressed on red vinylite. Album design and typography for this set was by Jimmy Ernst (born Hans-Ulrich Ernst, 1920-1984), a German-born American painter.

Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1938
recording artist
Morton, Jelly Roll
manufacturer
Circle
ID Number
1988.0698.2574
catalog number
1988.0698.2574
accession number
1988.0698
maker number
JM-35
JM-36
serial number
306
Benny Goodman Trio. side 1: Body and Soul; side 2: After You've Gone (Victor 25115).78 rpm.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Benny Goodman Trio. side 1: Body and Soul; side 2: After You've Gone (Victor 25115).
78 rpm.
Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1935
recording artist
Benny Goodman Trio
manufacturer
Victor
ID Number
1988.0698.1082
catalog number
1988.0698.1082
accession number
1988.0698
collector/donor number
G53
maker number
25115
Teddy Wilson and his Orchestra featuring Billie Holiday. side 1: Easy Living; side 2: When You're Smiling (Columbia 36208), from the album, Hot Jazz Classics - Teddy WIlson-Billie Holiday (Columbia C-61).78 rpm.
Description

Teddy Wilson and his Orchestra featuring Billie Holiday. side 1: Easy Living; side 2: When You're Smiling (Columbia 36208), from the album, Hot Jazz Classics - Teddy WIlson-Billie Holiday (Columbia C-61).
78 rpm. Side 1 was originally recorded in 1937 and released on Brunswick 7911. Side 2 was originally recorded in 1938 (second master). This album was released in 1947.

The cover art for this album was made by Alex Steinweiss. Alexander “Alex” Steinweiss (1917-2011) was an American artist and graphic designer. He was the first art director of Columbia Records, expanding the use of album covers and cover art. Steinweiss created album cover art from 1938 to 1973.

Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1937
1938
release date
1947
recording artist
Holiday, Billie
Teddy Wilson and his Orchestra
manufacturer
Columbia
ID Number
1978.0670.499
maker number
C-61
36208
accession number
1978.0670
catalog number
1978.0670.499
side 1: John Kirby and his Onyx Club Boys. From A Flat to C; side 2: Al Cooper's Savoy Sultans. When I Grow Too Old to Dream (Decca 4206), from the album, Alto Saxology (Decca 246).78 rpm. Side 1 was originally recorded in 1938 and released on Decca 2216.
Description
side 1: John Kirby and his Onyx Club Boys. From A Flat to C; side 2: Al Cooper's Savoy Sultans. When I Grow Too Old to Dream (Decca 4206), from the album, Alto Saxology (Decca 246).
78 rpm. Side 1 was originally recorded in 1938 and released on Decca 2216. Side 2 was originally recorded in 1939 and released on Decca 2930. The album was released in 1942.
Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1938
1939
release date
1942
recording artist
John Kirby and his Onyx Club Boys
Al Cooper's Savoy Sultans
manufacturer
Decca
ID Number
1978.0670.580
accession number
1978.0670
maker number
4206
246
catalog number
1978.0670.580
The Red Army Chorus Of the U.S.S.R. side 1: From Border to Border; side 2: Cossack's Song (Keynote Recordings K 209), from the album, The Red Army Chorus Of the U.S.S.R. (Keynote Recordings 103).78 rpm.Currently not on view
Description
The Red Army Chorus Of the U.S.S.R. side 1: From Border to Border; side 2: Cossack's Song (Keynote Recordings K 209), from the album, The Red Army Chorus Of the U.S.S.R. (Keynote Recordings 103).
78 rpm.
Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1939
recording artist
Red Army Chorus Of the U.S.S.R.
manufacturer
Keynote Recordings
ID Number
1979.1023.128
catalog number
1979.1023.128
accession number
1979.1023
maker number
K209
103
Richard Dyer-Bennet. side 1: Greensleeves; side 2: Oh Sally My Dear (Decca 24212), from the album, Richard Dyer-Bennet - 20th Century Minstrel (Decca 573).78 rpm.Currently not on view
Description
Richard Dyer-Bennet. side 1: Greensleeves; side 2: Oh Sally My Dear (Decca 24212), from the album, Richard Dyer-Bennet - 20th Century Minstrel (Decca 573).
78 rpm.
Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1944
1945
release date
1948
recording artist
Dyer-Bennet, Richard
manufacturer
Decca
ID Number
1996.0320.05100
maker number
24212
573
accession number
1996.0320
catalog number
1996.0320.05100
Woody Guthrie. side 1: Wake Up; side 2: Clean-o (Disc 5050), from the album, Songs To Grow On: Nursery Days (Disc 605).78 rpm.Currently not on view
Description
Woody Guthrie. side 1: Wake Up; side 2: Clean-o (Disc 5050), from the album, Songs To Grow On: Nursery Days (Disc 605).
78 rpm.
Location
Currently not on view
release date
1949
recording artist
Guthrie, Woody
manufacturer
Disc
ID Number
1996.0320.05115
maker number
5050
605
accession number
1996.0320
catalog number
1996.0320.05115

Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.

If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.