WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History recently received a donation from the family of actress Jean Stapleton that showcases her career.
The items include the apron the late actress wore while playing Edith Bunker in “All in the Family,” a crew jacket from the set of “All in the Family,” awards she won throughout her career in theater and television, costumes and props, memorabilia related to her work as a women’s rights activist, and papers reflect her dedication to Eleanor Roosevelt’s legacy, according to a news release.
Stapleton, who died in 2013, lived in the greater Chambersburg, Pa., area for 25 years with her husband, William H. Putch. From 1958 through 1983, Stapleton made regular appearances at the Totem Pole Playhouse theater in Fayetteville, Pa.
Stapleton’s daughter, Pam Putch, enjoyed working with the museum’s curators.
“They came to California. They were enthusiastic about the depth of her career in the theater… (and) it seemed like a perfect fit,” Putch said in a telephone interview.
Stapleton gained international exposure from “All in the Family,” but always returned to the theater. The Smithsonian donation includes photos, programs, scripts, clippings and memorabilia from her theater career, including 81 productions at Totem Pole Playhouse.
Putch saw character Archie Bunker’s hat displayed in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and thought about the apron stashed in her own kitchen drawer. The donation grew from there.
The museum contributions include memorabilia related to Stapleton’s work in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the women’s movement, for which she became a symbol of emergent feminism. She studied Eleanor Roosevelt and portrayed the former first lady in a TV movie for which she was nominated for an Emmy.
“It seemed to us this is more than an actor who became famous for playing Edith Bunker. I think I’d be thrilled if (museum visitors) saw how broad and deep her career was. She was such a talented, great artist,” Putch said.
Putch said her mother would likely be frustrated that women are still needing to march and fight for equality, but would be thrilled by the current momentum of the movement.
There are no immediate plans to display the new objects, but an exhibition is in development that will explore American culture and will draw on the museum’s theater, music, sports and entertainment collections. That exhibition is expected to open in 2020, the news release said.
Putch and her brother are working to finalize a donation of their father’s archives to another institution.
