The Smithsonian Institution

Dr. Teeth, Jim, Kermit and Rowlf.

The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. holds many Henson artifacts including Kermit the Frog, Bert, Ernie, and Oscar the Grouch puppets, and parts of the original Sesame Street sets.

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, 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.^[1]

Jane Henson stated in 2010 that the family plans were to donate a dozen more puppets to the Smithsonian in the future, possibly including Miss Piggy. ^[2] Those plans came to fruition three years later, when Cheryl Henson donated over 20 original Muppet puppets on September 24th, 2013 (Jim Henson's 77th birthday). The collection includes an array of characters from Sesame Street, The Muppet Show and Fraggle Rock; including the earliest puppet builds of Grover, Cookie Monster, and Rowlf the Dog. ^[3]

A traveling Smithsonian exhibit of Muppets opened Sept. 24, 2010 at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry.^[2]

References

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian is a film about museum artifacts at the Smithsonian coming to life. Oscar the Grouch makes a cameo in the film.

Collection

Guy Gilchrist's artwork from The Muppets comic strip
a Fraggle Rock lunch box purchased in 1988 for an exhibit at NAMH
a 1970 photo puppet of Kermit [1]; it toured with the exhibit "America's Smithsonian", which began in 1996.[2]
a copy of the 1971 Frog Prince soundtrack [3]
a copy of the 1977 Parker Brothers trade catalogue, including The Muppet Show Game [4]
a 1983 Sesame Street lunch box [5]
Aladdin Industries, Inc. Records, 1889-2002, including records related to their licensing