Featured Objects

A selection of objects from the first rotation of the National Museum of American History's newest exhibition.

01 / 07

Dizzy Gillespie’s Trumpet

In the 1950s, the United States’ dismal civil rights record fueled the Soviet Union’s global anti-American propaganda campaign. In response, the U.S. Department of State asked jazz virtuosos such as Dizzy Gillespie to tour the world to assert racial harmony and the superiority of American democracy. Although Gillespie agreed, he wielded his signature “bent” trumpets to battle not only communism abroad but also racism in the United States, by using the media attention to challenge his government for not doing more.

WANN Studio Microphone

The first radio broadcasts began in the 1920s, but it was not until the late 1940s and the 1950s that hundreds of new local stations gave a radio voice to communities of color. In Annapolis, Maryland, the radio station WANN became an institution and an important platform for the local Black community.

Kermit the Frog

University of Maryland student Jim Henson transformed a green woolen coat and pingpong ball into this first Kermit puppet, which debuted in 1955. The museum cares for the Henson collection with generous support from the Jane Henson Foundation.

The X-Files Prop Credentials

On the hit TV series The X-Files, actor Gillian Anderson played Dana Scully, an FBI agent assigned to investigate unsolved cases involving paranormal activity and aliens. Her partner, Fox Mulder, is a believer. Scully, a doctor and a skeptic, finds truth through science. The character inspired a generation of young women to pursue the sciences, a phenomenon dubbed “the Scully effect.”

Kristi Yamaguchi’s Skates

Kristi Yamaguchi wore these skates for performances after she became the first Asian American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in figure skating, in 1992. Her victory was a matter of special pride for the Japanese American community. Similar to tens of thousands of Japanese Americans, Yamaguchi’s grandparents had known the indignity and injustice of being interned by the U.S. government during World War II. She said, “The gold meant so much more than I ever thought it would to other people.”

MAS*H Signpost

This signpost referenced the hometowns of the characters on the sitcom M*A*S*H, which aired from 1972 to 1983. Based on the film of the same name, the television show was set during the Korean War and followed the comedic antics of the staff of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, or MASH. Through its 1950s lens, the popular program used humor to address the horrors of war and leveled criticisms about the Vietnam War, helping the nation “bind up the wounds” from that conflict over the course of its 11-year run.

Prince's Guitar

Prince played this Cloud guitar, custom built by Knut-Koupee Enterprises, Inc., in the film Purple Rain. Smithsonian conservators discovered six layers of paint colors underneath the final coat of yellow, confirming Prince’s penchant for changing his guitars’ colors to match his aesthetic of the moment.