The familiar chairs belonging to Archie and Edith Bunker, of the sitcom All in the Family, were originally purchased by the show's set designer for $8 at a local Goodwill thrift store. Produced by Norman Lear and based on the British series Til Death us Do Part, All in the Family aired on CBS from 1971-1979, when it was retooled as Archie Bunker's Place where it lasted another 4 years. When Lear thought the show was ending after the eighth season, he donated the chairs chair to the Smithsonian through the efforts of Indiana Democratic Representative John Brademas. When Lear discovered the show was renewed for a ninth season, he had to spend thousands of dollars to create replicas for the set.
The Bunkers were said to live at 704 Hauser Street, a fictitious address that was supposed to be located in Astoria, but in actuality doesn't exist. The exterior house used for the credits, however, is located in Glendale, at
89-70 Cooper Avenue.
The National Museum of American History, administered by the Smithsonian Institute, collects, preserves and displays American heritage in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history. The museum, which first opened in 1964 as the Museum of History and Technology, is located on the National Mall in one of the last structures designed by McKim, Mead & White. It was renamed in 1980, and closed for a 2-year renovation by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP from 2006 to 2008.
The Smithsonian Institution, an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its shops and its magazines, was established in 1846. Although concentrated in Washington DC, its collection of over 136 million items is spread through 19 museums, a zoo, and nine research centers from New York to Panama.
