Henry Horenstein's photographs of fans swarming Ernest Tubb (1914-1984) was a familiar scene. Fans had many opportunities to see, hear, and hug Tubb. Between the early 1960s and 1982, he worked 150 to 200 shows each year.
The Coopers welcomed Henry Horestein in their home, a great example of the accessibility of stars just thirty years ago. Wilma Lee (Leigh Leary, b. 1921) and Stoney Cooper (Dale Troy, 1918-1977) ranked as one of the great husband-wife teams in country music. Their musical careers helped to bridge older and newer styles.
Phyllis Diller wore this dress decorated in cut-glass gems and silver sequins while performing as a solo pianist under the virtuoso pseudonym Dame Illya Dillya. The costume also includes an opera coat trimmed with a white fur shawl collar and wrists and decorated with plastic beads, a pair of white opera-length gloves (one of which is almost 8 feet long) and a tiara (which originally held a large white feather plume). Diller, while known for her stand-up comedy, was also an accomplished pianist. After graduating high school, Diller studied piano for three years at the Sherwood Conservatory of Music (at Columbia College Chicago), but eventually decided against a career in music.
After finding success in comedy, she received a call from the Pittsburgh Pops asking if she would do a show. With her mind in the music world, Diller responded and said she would love to and that she would play some Bach and Beethoven. The caller was so stunned that he did not let on that he only intended for her to perform her comedy. Thus began Diller’s career as an accomplished pianist. From 1971 to 1982 Diller performed with over 100 symphony orchestras across the United States and Canada in a show called The Symphonic Phyllis Diller. During these performances she would seriously perform pieces by Beethoven, Bach, and others as a solo pianist with an orchestra while integrating comedic elements.
The first half of The Symphonic Phyllis Diller was a performance by the symphony without Diller. After being dramatically introduced, Diller would sweep onstage in this concert dress and opera coat and proceed to peel off her white gloves. After peeling off the right glove and throwing it to the floor she would begin with the left which appeared to be endless because it is almost 8 feet long. After finally throwing the second glove to the ground Diller would toss the white fur around her neck to the ground and face the conductor, with her back to the audience, to unzip her long coat. The conductor would appear surprised, as if she was wearing nothing under the coat. Diller then proceeded to step out of the coat fully dressed and clap her hands, summoning two people carrying a stretcher onto the stage. These men then carefully arranged the clothes on the stretcher like a body and removed them from the stage. Next, Diller looked to the piano, ready to play, but discovered there was no piano bench. She then took the concert master’s chair who would proceed to take someone else’s chair, which continued until it reached the last violinist in the section, who was caught sleeping and grabbed the piano bench from backstage for himself before Diller snatched it. She then stepped over the bench in her long dress and bowed to the conductor 3 times before he started the music. During this musical prologue she dusted the piano, checked her sheet music, and looked at the audience through her binoculars before her entry into the piece. Despite the comedy pantomime up until this point, as soon as she began playing she was serious and generally impressed the audience with her musical skill.
The most-watched news program in American history, 60 Minutes (CBS, 1968- ) revolutionized television journalism with its pioneering newsmagazine format. As conceived by producer Don Hewitt, the show includes a mix of breaking news, investigative reports, interviews, and commentary. The famous opening logo, a ticking stopwatch, also marks time between segments. This watch was used on the program until the late 1990s, when it was replaced by a computer graphic.
Charlie Monroe, Bill Monroe's older brother, helped lay the groundwork for bluegrass music during their few years together. The brothers separated in 1938, after recording for only two years. Charlie continued to perform until he retired in 1957. Thanks to Jimmy Martin's persuasion, Monroe re-emerged in 1972 and performed again until his death in 1975.
This plastic and glass thermos bottle was made by Aladdin Industries in 1970. It has a screw-on white plastic cup lid with handle and screw-on white plastic stopper. The thermos bottle is decorated with various Dr. Seuss cartoons, including the Cat in the Hat.
The youngest of the three Carter Sisters, Anita began performing with Mother Maybelle and the Carter Family at age four. She performed with her mother and sisters throughout her career, though she found success of her own during the 1950s. Anita (1933-1999) was the first to record the song "Ring of Fire," written by her sister June (1929-2003). It later became a hit for her brother-in-law Johnny Cash.
This tin lunch box was manufactured by Aladdin Industries in 1979. The lunch box features images from the television show Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century ran from 1979-1981 on NBC, and revived the character originally created in 1928 because of the success of Star Wars and other science fiction at this time.
This plastic thermos bottle was made by Aladdin in 1973. It has a screw-on red cup lid with handle, but the stopper is missing. The thermos features images from the television series, Emergency!. Emergency! ran from 1972-1978 on NBC, and chronicled the adventures of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
Phyllis Diller wore these elbow-length gloves when she portrayed Dolly Gallagher Levi in the Broadway production of Hello, Dolly! for three months in 1970 at the St. James Theatre in New York City. The complete costume also includes a full-length maroon and pale pink dress decorated with sequins, beads, and embroidery. Diller followed Carol Channing, Ginger Rogers, Martha Raye, Pearl Bailey (in a version with an all-black cast), and Betty Grable in the role and was replaced by Ethel Merman, who closed out the show in December 1970. NMAH also has the dress Carol Channing wore when she portrayed Dolly Gallagher Levi in 1994 for the 30th anniversary of the 1964 production (1997.0232.01).
Phyllis Diller wore this dress when she portrayed Dolly Gallagher Levi in the Broadway production of Hello, Dolly! for three months in 1970 at the St. James Theatre in New York City. The complete costume includes a full-length maroon and pale pink dress decorated with sequins, beads, and embroidery as well as elbow-length white gloves. Diller followed Carol Channing, Ginger Rogers, Martha Raye, Pearl Bailey (in a version with an all-black cast), and Betty Grable in the role and was replaced by Ethel Merman, who closed out the show in December 1970. NMAH also has the dress Carol Channing wore when she portrayed Dolly Gallagher Levi in 1994 for the 30th anniversary of the 1964 production (1997.0232.01).