Sesame Street Sign Language ABC
date: label: date made
content: 1985
name: label: maker
content: Children's Television Workshop
label: maker
content: Random House, Inc.
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: Sesame Street Sign Language ABC book, published in 1985. The book was written by Linda Bove and Sesame Street staff and published by Random House Children's Books with photographs by Anita Shevett. The cover of the book features a photograph of Bove signing the letters A, B, and C with Muppet characters Bert and Ernie.
label: Description (Brief)
content: The book was written as an introduction to the alphabet and American Sign Language (ASL) signs for children. Deaf actress and Sesame Street cast member Linda Bove desmonstrates the appropriate signs in photographs, accompanied by illustrations of Sesame Street characters. Sesame Street has been lauded for its diverse and inclusive cast and mission to educate children not only in the alphabet and numbers, but also in life skills for understanding and respecting others. Bove joined the cast in 1972 following years working on Broadway and as a member of the National Theater for the Deaf troupe. Born deaf in 1945, Bove graduated from Gallaudet University after discovering her love of acting dedicated herself to fight for more representative roles for deaf people in American entertainment. On Sesame Street, Linda portrayed Linda the Libarian from 1972-2002, teaching sign language skills but also performing in sketches with both human and Muppet characters. Her character was the owner of Barkley the dog and was in a relationship with Bob (Bob McGrath). Bove fought to flesh out her character's life and storyline, to ensure that she was more than just 'the deaf character': “When I joined the cast I found the writers would write about ‘How would a deaf person do this?’ ‘How does a deaf person do that?’ And it was just related to my deafness and it didn’t feel like they were treating me as a person. I found my character one-dimensional and kind of boring. It showed how brave a deaf person was to do this and that in everyday life. I said it was no big deal. I have a sense of humor; why don’t you show that? I can be angry over something. Show that I can have a relationship with another person. Maybe a love relationship with Bob. It’s not perfect, but … we do have misunderstandings over sign language, make fun of it, and show the funny side of it. It’s OK.” Linda the Librarian is currently the longest recurring role in television history for a person with disability.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: Subject
content: Television
label: Subject
content: Children's television programs
label: Subject
content: Education tools
label: Subject
content: Disabilities
label: Subject
content: Puppetry
setName: label: See more items in
content: Culture and the Arts: Entertainment
label: See more items in
content: Popular Entertainment
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2021.0102.04
label: accession number
content: 2021.0102
label: catalog number
content: 2021.0102.04
objectType: label: Object Name
content: book
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 8 in x 8 in; 20.32 cm x 20.32 cm