The Smithsonian Institution

[[File:Grover and Bert at Smithsonian 2019|thumb|300px|Bert visits the Arts and Industries Building and Grover visits the National Air and Space Museum during the Sesame Street Road Trip events.]]
The Smithsonian Institution is a group of museums in Washington, D.C. established by the US government in 1846. Over the years, the Smithsonian has been host to a number of exhibits and displays featuring the work of Jim Henson.
In 1975, Ernie and Bert were put on display as a part of the museum's "We the People" exhibition honoring the country's bicentennial. The puppets became a popular feature and continued to remain on display at the museum for years afterward.Jim Henson's Red Book: 5/31/1975 – ‘Ernie and Bert open at the Smithsonian in exhibit “We the People”.’
From June to September 1979, the Smithsonian hosted Ten Years of Sesame Street, a special exhibit celebrating the show's 10th anniversary. A decade later, another exhibition opened to commemorate the show's 20th anniversary.
In 1989, the National Museum of American History created Sesame Street: The First 20 Years, which included the frontages of Mr. Hooper's Store and the Fix-It Shop, photo posers, props, and photos.
Celebrating 150 years, the Institute broadcast Smithsonian Fantastic Journey in 1996, which featured appearances by Kermit the Frog and Beaker.
In May 2006, an exhibit called Muppets and Mechanisms opened at the Smithsonian. The exhibit, divided into three displays at the American History Museum, featured nine puppets from the original Sam and Friends show; a display of characters puppeteered by Jim Henson including Dr. Teeth, Rowlf the Dog, Kermit the Frog, and Jim; and animatronic figures and mechanisms from The Dark Crystal and Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas. Jane Henson opened the exhibit.
Jane Henson, on behalf of the Jim Henson family, donated 10 of the original Sam and Friends puppets to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History on August 25, 2010. These included the original Kermit, Pierre the French Rat, Yorick, Mushmellon, Sam, Harry the Hipster, Chicken Liver, Icky Gunk, Moldy Hay, and Professor Madcliffe.Kermit the Frog Comes Home to Washington, smithsonian.org, SI-368-2010
A traveling Smithsonian exhibit of Muppets opened September 24, 2010 at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry.
Jane Henson stated in 2010 that the family plans were to donate more puppets to the Smithsonian in the future.Original Kermit donated to Smithsonian Brett Zongker (Associated Press), WashingtonTimes.com, August 25, 2010 Those plans came to fruition three years later, when Cheryl Henson donated 20 more Muppet puppets and props to the National Museum of American History on September 24th, 2013 (Jim Henson's 77th birthday). Among the additions were Ernie, Bert, Elmo, Count von Count, Prairie Dawn, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Scooter, J. P. Grosse, Red Fraggle, Boober Fraggle, Uncle Traveling Matt, and Wilkins; as well as early puppet builds of Grover, Cookie Monster, and Rowlf the Dog.Miss Piggy and the Muppets Settle In at the Smithsonian - USNews.com; Washington Whispers, September 24, 2013The Muppets take the Smithsonian- WTKR.com; Becca Mitchell, September 24, 2013 Rosita would also join the collection sometime in 2021.https://www.si.edu/object/rosita-puppet-used-sesame-street:nmah_2012387
Kermit was included in the 2016 NMAH exhibition "Giving in America.""Giving and the Arts," Smithsonian National Museum of American History Behring Centre, [2016].
In December 2022, the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History debuted "Entertainment Nation", a new permanent exhibit featuring a rotating selection of items from the museum's holdings of television, movie, sports, theater and music-related objects. The announcement video released in April 2022 included shots of the museum's collection of original Muppet characters, including characters from The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock and Sam and Friends. "The Original Kermit Puppet" from Sam and Friends is also one of four objects featured on the announcement page on the museum's website."Entertainment Nation", Smithsonian Museum of American History website. During the exhibit's opening weekend, the museum hosted two Muppet-related live events: A panel called In Conversation: The Impact of Sesame Street featuring Akimi Gibson (Education Publisher at Sesame Workshop), Carmen Osbahr and Alan Muraoka, and a Sam and Friends panel hosted by Craig Shemin, author of Sam and Friends: The Story of Jim Henson's First Television Show. A pop-up exhibit called Muppets Take American History launched at the same time, with displays of individual Muppet characters appearing in surprising places throughout the museum. The first two examples featured the Count von Count puppet in The Value of Money exhibit, and Uncle Travelling Matt in America on the Move."The Muppets Take American History", Smithsonian Museum of American History website, December 2022.
==Notes==
* In 1975, Jim Henson proposed making an after-school, Muppet special set at the Smithsonian following the popularity of the Ernie and Bert puppets' donation.Jim Henson: The Biography by Brian Jay Jones, page 214.
* Oscar the Grouch makes a cameo alongside Darth Vader from Star Wars in Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, a film about museum artifacts at the Smithsonian coming to life. During the film, a photo of Cookie Monster also appeared on the Smithsonian's website.
* A stock photo of the Kermit puppet housed at the Smithsonian was used in transitions to Kermit sketches played in season 10 of Plaza Sésamo.
* In 2024, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History scientists would name a prehistoric amphibian relative after Kermit, named Kermitops gratus.
==Collection==
* the Sesame Street street sign, used in 1979"Sesame Street Sign," NMAH.
* a poster for the series' 20th season"Sesame Street 20th Anniversary Poster," NMAH.
* a Fraggle Rock lunch box purchased in 1988 for an exhibit at the National Museum of American History.
* a 1970 photo puppet of Kermit ; it toured with the exhibit "America's Smithsonian," which began in 1996.
* a copy of The Frog Prince soundtrack 
* a copy of the 1977 Parker Brothers trade catalogue, including The Muppet Show Game 
* a 1983 Sesame Street lunch box 
* Susan's dress, acquired in 1979. 
==Gallery==
SesameSmithsonian.jpg|Poster for a 1979 exhibit
Poster.smithsonian.jpg|Poster for a 1980 exhibit
Smithkermit.jpg|Stock photo of the Smithsonian's Kermit the Frog
Kermitsmiths.jpg|Kermit on display after the 2002 renovation of the museum
Kermit_the_frog.jpg|Kermit at the Smithsonian (post 2002)
Smithsonian-rowlf.jpg|Rowlf the Dog at the Smithsonian
JaneHensonSmithsonian.jpg|Jane Henson opening the 2006 exhibit Muppets and Mechanisms
Chefsmith.jpg|The Swedish Chef as displayed at Muppets and Mechanisms in 2006
Smithsonian store Nov 2016a.jpg|Gift shop in November 2016
Smithsonian store Nov 2016b.jpg|Gift shop in November 2016
american history sam friends.jpg
kermit smithsonian case.jpg
SmithsonianMuppets2013-09-24-d.jpg|Cheryl Henson donated 20 more puppets and props on September 24, 2013
Oscar_Grouch_Smithsonian.jpg|Oscar the Grouch
Prairie_Dawn_Smithsonian.jpg|Prairie Dawn
smithsonian fozzie.jpg|Fozzie Bear
smithsonian rowlf.jpeg|Rowlf the Dog
File:pigs in space puppet.jpg|"Pigs in Space" puppet
Around-the-mall-muppets-7.jpg|proto-Grover
File:Smithsonian Chicken Liver.jpg|Chicken Liver
File:Smithsonian Harry the Hipster.jpg|Harry the Hipster
File:Smithsonian Icky Gunk.jpg|Icky Gunk
File:Smithsonian Kermit.jpg|Kermit the Frog
File:Smithsonian Moldy Hay.jpg|Moldy Hay
File:Smithsonian Mushmellon.jpg|Mushmellon
File:Smithsonian Pierre the French Rat.jpg|Pierre the French Rat
File:Smithsonian Prof Madcliffe.jpg|Professor Madcliffe
File:Smithsonian Sam.jpg|Sam
File:Smithsonian Yorick.jpg|Yorick
EmmetOttersmith.jpg|Emmet Otter and Alice Otter at Muppets and Mechanisms in 2006
Elmoastronaut.jpg|Elmo appears to promote One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure on April 21, 2009
SmithsonianMuppets2013-09-24-g.jpg|J.P. Grosse, Scooter and the Swedish Chef being prepared for display in 2013
SmithsonianMuppets2013-09-24-f.jpg|Donation ceremony and press conference on September 24, 2013
SmithsonianMuppets2013-09-24-a.jpg|Cheryl Henson's 20 new donations on September 24, 2013
SmithsonianMuppets2013.jpg|Some of the new donations on September 24, 2013
SmithsonianMuppets2013-09-24-c.jpg|Cheryl Henson with the new donations on September 24, 2013
SmithsonianMuppets2013-09-24-h.jpg|Cheryl Henson with Red Fraggle, J.P. Grosse and others on September 24, 2013
SmithsonianMuppets2013-09-24-b.jpg|Fran Brill with Prairie Dawn on September 24, 2013
SmithsonianMuppets2013-09-24-e.jpg|Miss Piggy, newly donated on September 24, 2013
AroundTheMall-Muppets-MissPiggy-HopeDiamond.jpg|Miss Piggy at the Smithsonian with the Hope Diamond
amhistorymuseum.jpg
Smithsonian sweater and sign.jpg|Cookie Monster and Sesame Street sign in November 2016
Smithsonian TMS lunchbox cafeteria.jpg|The Muppet Show lunchbox on display near the cafe in November 2016
smithsonian cookie grover.jpg
smithsonian opening day.jpg
smithsonian piggy.jpg
smithsonian rowlf piano.jpg
smithsonian sesame.jpg
smithsonian wilkins.jpg
File:national museum of american history piggy.jpg|Miss Piggy puppet created for a 2016 display at the National Museum of American History"Miss Piggy Puppet", museum website.
File:smithsonian american history kermit piggy.jpg|Kermit and Miss Piggy on display, 2023
File:smithsonian entertainment nation puppet collection.jpg|Screenshot from the 2022 announcement of the "Entertainment Nation" permanent exhibit
==Sources==
==External links==
*Kermit at the Smithsonian
*Smithsonian New Arrivals Site
*Muppets and Mechanisms Exhibition Page
*The Muppets Take the Smithsonian, Smithsonian.com, September 24, 2013
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Category:Exhibits
Category:Museum