Archie and Edith Bunker's Chairs

Archie and Edith Bunker's chairs are on display in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Originally purchased by the show's set designer at a Goodwill thrift store, the originals were given to the Smithsonian (for an exhibit on American television history) in 1978. The objects are among the most visited and beloved in the collections. When the show's producer Norman Lear thought the show was ending after the eighth season, he donated the chair to the Smithsonian. When Lear discovered the show was renewed for a ninth season, he had to spend thousands of dollars to have replicas made for the next season.