Ten Years of Sesame Street

Pamphlet cover

Ten Years of Sesame Street was an exhibit held at The Smithsonian Institution from June to September 1979. Celebrating the show's tenth anniversary, the exhibit featured a 50-foot replica of a portion of the street set, with mannequins of Bob, Susan, Mr. Hooper, Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch. The exhibit also featured special video highlights from the show's first ten years. Screened throughout the summer were the tenth anniversary special, A Walking Tour of Sesame Street, and Children's Television Workshop: Ten Years of Film, a collection of film compiled by John Hanhardt.

Along with the exhibit, the Smithsonian hosted a special panel on May 31, with Joan Ganz Cooney, Gerald S. Lesser, Edward L. Palmer and David Connell, moderated by WRC-TV newscaster Pat Edmister.

A thirty-second TV spot featuring Big Bird was shot to promote the exhibit. The exhibit reportedly had over 85,000 visitors in its first week and approximately 150,000 per week in June.

Set designer Alan Compton's concept art for the exhibit's Sesame Street set recreation.

Smithsonian Secretary Dillion Ripley poses with Oscar at the exhibit.

Will Lee poses with the Mr. Hooper mannequin.

Script for TV ad promoting the exhibit.

This Sesame Street sign joined the Smithsonian's collection for the exhibit in 1979.

See also

• Sesame Street: The First 20 Years

Sources

• CTW Newsletter, Issue #44, June 1979

External links

• Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street? It's at the Smithsonian!