Past Exhibitions | Jun, 24 2017 4:00AM - Nov, 12 2017 11:00AM
The On the Air: 50 Years of Public Broadcasting exhibition examined the cultural legacy of the Public Broadcasting Act by highlighting the classic television shows and radio programs of PBS and NPR. On November. 7, 1967, President Johnson signed into law the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, establishing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and, eventually, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR). Today, the CPB is also the steward of federal funding that supports nearly 1,500 locally owned public radio and television stations.
The On the Air: 50 Years of Public Broadcasting exhibition examined the cultural legacy of the Public Broadcasting Act by highlighting the classic television shows and radio programs of PBS and NPR. Several iconic artifacts from beloved programs that were featured, included:
- Sesame Street puppets (Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, and Count von Count)
- Mister Rogers' sweater and sneakers
- Veneered wood autoharp used by Garrison Keillor on the radio program A Prairie Home Companion
- An original painting by Bob Ross, the host of The Joy of Painting
- A copy of Julia Child's Master the Art of French Cooking cookbook with a personal inscription to Lady Bird Johnson
