Souvenir Photo Program: Phyllis Diller Loves You!

Object Details

Date made
ca 1965
designer
Weisbrich, Les
photographer
Thompson, Jay
publisher
Souvenir Pub. and Dist. Co.
designer
Morrow, Tom
maker
Souvenir Pub. and Dist. Co.
Description

Souvenir photo program titled Phyllis Diller Loves You! published c. 1965. The 21-page program includes Diller’s life story, family lore, recipes for home cooking, and information about how she designed her costumes. NMAH also has in its collection the cloche style turquoise blue felt hat she is wearing in the photograph on the inside cover (Catalog Number 2003.0289.13).

Phyllis Diller (1917-2012) began her comedy career in the 1950s at the age of 37 and broke barriers in the comedy world to become the first solo female comic to be a household name. She developed a stage persona of an incompetent housewife and dressed in outlandish outfits with wild hair. Her material focused on self-deprecating jokes that tackled the idealized image of American mothers and homemakers. She also created many mythical personas for her stage act including her “husband” Fang, her “neighbor” Mrs. Clean, and her “mother-in-law” Moby Dick.
Location
Currently not on view
place made
United States: New York, New York City
Subject
Humor
Comedians
See more items in
Culture and the Arts: Entertainment
Popular Entertainment
Phyllis Diller
Credit Line
Gift of Phyllis Diller
Data Source
National Museum of American History
ID Number
2003.0289.33
accession number
2003.0289
catalog number
2003.0289.33
Object Name
Program
Physical Description
paper (overall material)
ink (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 12 in x 9 in; 30.48 cm x 22.86 cm
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746ab-3268-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
Record ID
nmah_1247711