Purse used by Jean Stapleton in <i>The Italian Lesson</i>
notes: label: Description
content: Black rectangular purse used by Jean Stapleton in <i>The Italian Lesson</i>, a one-act, one-character operatic adaptation of a Ruth Draper monologue. <p>
label: Description
content: Jean Stapleton was an actress and activist best known for portraying Edith Bunker on the television program <i>All in the Family</i>. Stapleton was born on January 19, 1923 in Manhattan, New York City, the daughter of a salesman and an opera singer. She attended Hunter College and performed in summer stock theater before making her Broadway debut in the 1953 production of <i>In the Summerhouse</i>. In a career that lasted five decades, Stapleton appeared in numerous Broadway productions including <i>Damn Yankees</i>, <i>Bells Are Ringing</i>, and <i>Funny Girl</i>, as well as a variety of television and film productions. In 1971, Stapleton was cast as the Edith Bunker in Norman Lear’s sitcom <i>All in the Family</i>. Her portrayal of the sweet yet naïve wife of the bigoted Archie Bunker earned her three Primetime Emmys, two Golden Globes, and induction into the Television Hall of Fame. <p>
label: Description
content: In addition her decades-long acting career, Stapleton was an outspoken feminist and social activist. Stapleton died of natural causes on May 31, 2013 in New York City.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Culture and the Arts: Entertainment
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2017.0150.13.06
label: accession number
content: 2017.0150
label: catalog number
content: 2017.0150.13.06
objectType: label: Object Name
content: purse
label: Object Name
content: bag
label: Object Name
content: pocketbook
label: Object Name
content: costume
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: purse without strap: 7 in x 11 19/32 in; 17.78 cm x 29.464 cm