The National Comedy Center’s archive is the only national-scale research and conservation facility dedicated to preserving comedy’s heritage. Since its establishment in 2018, the archive has collaborated with numerous artists and estates to preserve and provide access to objects, documents, photographs, and recordings that represent comedy’s great artistic, social, and political contributions to American culture.
The archive is home to over 100,000 objects, including Lucille Ball’s polka dot dress and Lenny Bruce’s typewriter, creative papers from the minds of innovators like George Carlin and Betty White, and production records from the writers’ rooms of landmark series like In Living Color and Saturday Night Live. In addition to its preservation activities, the archive supports exhibit development, academic research, and educational outreach initiatives across the organization.
In March 2021, the archive was renamed in honor of founding advisory board member and comedy legend Carl Reiner, whose own comprehensive career archives joined the permanent collections.
Explore More from the Archives (click to advance)
George Carlin’s Grammy Award and Handwritten Notes
Jerry Seinfeld’s “Puffy Shirt” and Emmy Award for Seinfeld
Joan Rivers’ Notes on “How to Handle a Heckler”
Rodney Dangerfield’s Handwritten Notes
Tom and Dick Smothers with their Suit Jackets, Guitar, and Bass
Carl Reiner’s Emmy Award and Script from The Dick Van Dyke Show
George Carlin archival exhibition at the National Comedy Center
Johnny Carson’s Mug and Annotated Monologue
Laugh-In Wall Segment and Exhibit
Harold Ramis’ Ghostbusters Suit, Glasses, and Script
Since opening in 2018, the Center has collaborated with artists and estates to preserve materials that represent comedy’s great contributions to our culture: from Charlie Chaplin’s cane, Lucille Ball’s polka-dotted dress, and Lenny Bruce’s court transcripts to Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show monologues, scripts from the Saturday Night Live writers’ room, and George Carlin’s 27,000-piece archive of creative papers.
The museum incorporates audiovisual media, archival collections, and interactive technologies to educate visitors about comedy’s innovators and artists, from Jerry Lewis and Carol Burnett to Andy Kaufman and Richard Pryor, from Eddie Murphy and Harold Ramis to Phyllis Diller and Tina Fey.
For exclusive exhibit content and archive conversations:
National Comedy Center Anywhere
Contributors to Archival Collections and Exhibits Include:
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Alan and Robin Zweibel, Saturday Night Live Collections
- The Andy Kaufman Memorial Trust
- Billy Crystal
- Bob Booker
- Carl Reiner and Family
- Carol Burnett & Bob Mackie
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Carson Entertainment Group, Johnny Carson Collections
- Dan Aykroyd
- Desilu, Too & Estate of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz
- Dr. Demento
- The Ernie Kovacs and Edie Adams Estate
- Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias
- The Garry Shandling Estate
- George Schlatter
- George Shapiro and Jerry Seinfeld
- Georgiana Guy-Rodrigues and the Rose Marie Estate
- The Harold Ramis Family
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Joan Dangerfield, Rodney Dangerfield Collections
- The John Rich Estate
- The Jonathan Winters Family
- Kelly Carlin & the George Carlin Estate
- The Lenny Bruce Memorial Foundation
- Lewis Black
- Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner
- Mark and Alison Russell
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Marx Brothers, Inc. and Bill Marx
- Melissa Rivers and the Joan Rivers Estate
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NBCUniversal Archives, Eddie Murphy Collections
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Paramount Pictures, Richard Pryor Collections
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Paul and Christine Anderson, Brad Anderson Collections
- Paul Feig
- The Red Skelton Museum of American Comedy
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Richard Lewis
- Robert Sherman and the Allan Sherman Estate
- Rusty Warren and Elizabeth Rizzo
- Sarah and Shelley Berman
- Tamara Rawitt
- Tommy and Dick Smothers
- Upright Citizens Brigade
- Weird Al Yankovic
Contributors to archival interviews include:
Bill Burr, Billy Crystal, Conan O’Brien, Danny DeVito, Gabriel Iglesias, George Lopez, Gilbert Gottfried, Janeane Garofalo, Jay Leno, Jeff Foxworthy, Jimmy Fallon, Judd Apatow, Keegan-Michael Key, Kenan Thompson, Larry David, Margaret Cho, Mike Myers, Mo’Nique, Norman Lear, Patton Oswalt, Ray Romano, Robert Klein, Samantha Bee, Sarah Silverman, Sebastian Maniscalco, Tiffany Haddish, Tommy Davidson, Weird Al Yankovic and many others.
ARCHIVES INQUIRIES
Please contact [email protected] to:
Schedule remote or in-person research services
The National Comedy Center’s reading room is open for in-person research by appointment for approved scholarly, artistic, and journalistic projects. Remote research services are available on an hourly basis. Click here to complete your research application.
Donate materials to the archives
The National Comedy Center is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, which collects materials that illuminate the comedic process, chronicle the history of comedy, and/or demonstrate comedy’s role as a social, political, and artistic cultural force. Collections include printed and manuscript materials, photographs, artworks, three-dimensional artifacts, clothing and props, and most audiovisual formats.
Make a financial donation
100% of your gift to the National Comedy Center helps us achieve our mission to collect, preserve and make available artifacts that illuminate the history of comedy.
Request reference reproductions
The National Comedy Center provides reference reproductions in the service of research and scholarship. All requests for permission to reproduce materials will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
“It was a true honor to serve as a founding advisory board member with Carl Reiner. Carl believed in the importance of this non-profit cultural institution. He and I both knew that it’s up to the artists in our industry, and all those who value comedy’s heritage, to come together and support this vital work, so that comedy’s rich history can be shared and celebrated for generations to come.”
– Lewis Black, Founding Chair, National Comedy Center Advisory Board
Support the
Preservation of Comedy’s Heritage
All donations above $50 will be recognized in an honor roll on the Carl Reiner Department of Archives & Preservation webpage.
News from the archives
- National Comedy Center to Preserve Don Rickles Archive
- NY Times – A ‘Crown Jewel of Comedy’: The Joan Rivers Card Catalog of Jokes Finds a Home
- NY Times – Carl Reiner’s Archives Will Go to the National Comedy Center
- TODAY Show – Rob Reiner and Mel Brooks talk about memorial for Carl Reiner
- Comedy Legend Carl Reiner’s Archives to be Donated to the National Comedy Center
- NY Times – George Carlin’s Belongings Find Home at National Comedy Center
- LA Times – Shelley Berman broke the mold for comics, now he’ll be remembered at the new National Comedy Center
- Archive of Pioneering Comedienne Rose Marie is Donated to the National Comedy Center
- The National Comedy Center Honors Lucille Ball on 30th Anniversary of Legend’s Passing
- NY Times – Here’s Johnny Carson’s Personal Papers and How You Can See Them
- National Comedy Center Named ‘Best New Museum’ in the Country by USA Today
- TIME – National Comedy Center Among ‘World’s 100 Greatest Places’
- People – National Comedy Center Is One of People Magazine’s ‘100 Reasons to Love America’
Donors to the Carl Reiner Department of Archives and Preservation will receive the following benefits:
Benefits are cumulative and grow as donations are made at each level
- $50 (and up)
Access to a quarterly Archives and Preservation e-newsletter - $100 (and up)
Named recognition on the Carl Reiner Department of Archives and Preservation website & receive a NCC tshirt - $250 (and up)
Two (2) complimentary admission passes to the National Comedy Center and Lucy Desi Museum (one-time use) - $500 (and up)
Two (2) Annual (for one year) memberships - $1,000 (and up)
Permanent naming recognition inside the National Comedy Center’s galleries - $5,000 (and up)
Private National Comedy Center gallery and archives tour - $10,000 (and up)
Permanent naming on the National Comedy Center’s Founders Wall - In addition to the benefits above donors at:
- $30,000 (and up)
will also have a Permanently Named Internship within the Carl Reiner Department of Archives and Preservation - $50,000 (and up)
will also receive a Permanently Named Fellowship within the Carl Reiner Department of Archives and Preservation - $100,000 (and up)
will also receive a Permanently Named Staff Position within the Carl Reiner Department of Archives and Preservation