Final Exhibition Proposal presentation for Curatorship - Principles and Practices (460.635.81), John Hopkins University, Museum Studies, 2009.

1. Exhibition Proposal
Presented by Chris Ubik, Lead Curator, National Museum of American History
Date August 18, 2009

2. “Who are you calling a dummy?”:
Ventriloquism and Puppetry as Popular Entertainment from
Charlie McCarthy to Avenue Q.

3. “Bob”
✤ From the hit TV show, Soap
✤ Created and voiced by Jay
Johnson
✤ Wood, cloth, and plastic
✤ Permanent collection, National
Museum of American History
(NMAH)

4. Exhibition Content
✤ Showcase the pop-culture appeal of ventriloquism and puppetry from the Golden Age
of Radio to today
✤ Contain approximately two dozen artifacts
✤ Puppets
✤ Muppets
✤ Ventriloquist figures
✤ Marionettes
✤ Playbills, posters, advertisements

5. Target Audience
✤ Very broad appeal
✤ The pre-World War II “greatest generation”
✤ Baby Boomers
✤ Echo Boomers
✤ Generation Y
✤ Anyone who has been captivated by puppetry or ventriloquism

6. Main Themes
✤ Celebration of the art of ventriloquism and puppetry
✤ Enduring popularity of the art form
✤ Willfull suspension of disbelief
✤ Need for escapism in entertainment
✤ Adaptability of low-tech entertainment in an increasingly high-tech
world

7. Charlie
McCarthy Figure
✤ Wood and cloth
✤ Created by Edgar Bergen
✤ Widely recognized figure
✤ Star of vaudeville, radio and
television
✤ Radio: suspend disbelief
✤ Permanent collection, NMAH

8. Howdy Doody
Marionette
✤ Wood, plastic wood, cloth,
leather
✤ Created by Buffalo Bob Smith
✤ The Howdy Doody Show,
1947-1960
✤ Strong pop-culture impact
✤ Permanent collection, NMAH

9. Lamb Chop
Sock Puppet
✤ Wool, cloth, plastic buttons
✤ Created by Emmy Award
winner Shari Lewis
✤ Television career: 1957-1995
✤ Legacy lives on in Mally Lewis
✤ Acquire via loan from the
estate of Shari Lewis

10. Kermit the Frog
Muppet
✤ Cloth, cardboard, and plastic
✤ Most recognizable puppet of
last 50 years
✤ Star of television and film
✤ Addressed racial and ethnic
differences
✤ Permanent collection, NMAH

11. Exhibition Organization
✤ Thematically ✤ Figure/puppet/
marionette manipulation
✤ Ventriloquism and puppetry
through history ✤ Willful suspension of
disbelief
✤ The art of ventriloquism
✤ Popular appeal
✤ How it is done
✤ Timeline
✤ What makes an act
successful ✤ The next generation

12. Exhibition Design Considerations
✤ A variety of media ✤ Explore the relationship
between entertainment and
✤ Artifacts technology
✤ Audio
✤ Video
✤ Interactive Learning Stations
✤ Hands-on learning
✤ Touch the materials

13. Exhibition Team
✤ Lead Curator ✤ Department of Education and
Interpretation
✤ Division of Music, Sports &
Entertainment ✤ Office of Exhibition Services
✤ Office of Public Affairs ✤ Department of Public
Programming
✤ Project Management Office
✤ Technology Services Center

14. Exhibition Publications
✤ Catalog
✤ DVD included
✤ Intro by Jay Johnson
✤ Website
✤ Podcasts
✤ Reinforcing the suspension
of disbelief

15. Sponsors
✤ The Jim Henson Foundation ✤ NBC (Television and Radio)
✤ National Radio Hall of Fame ✤ United Service Organizations
(USO)
✤ Museum of Broadcast
Communications ✤ Entertainment Industry
Foundation
✤ Vent Haven Museum
✤ CBS (Television and Radio)
✤ ABC (Television and Radio)

16. Questions?