Mad Men exhibit at Harry Ransom Center
Fans of the hit TV series "Mad Men," which ended in 2015, will want to head on over to the Harry Ransom Center at UT. The archive library and museum has received a huge collection from the show. A portion of that is now on display.
The award-winning show "Mad Men" lured in viewers for seven seasons. Set in New York City, in the 1960's, it followed the lives of the men and women of a Madison Avenue advertising agency.
"It really brought you back to the way it really was. And, I thought it captured so much of the time period," said fan Donna Magnuson.
Magnuson is one fan who was thrilled to stumble upon the new "Mad Men" exhibit at the Harry Ransom Center.
"And, then of course, Joan's necklace. I do remember that," she said.
On display was the iconic, gold pen necklace Joan Harris often wore.
There are episode scripts, with notes and revisions, and show props including advertising pitches for "Sterling Cooper" clients.
"Oh, of course the Phillip Morris - that's a campaign proposal. I do remember that," said Magnuson.
As curator Steve Wilson told us, this is just a fraction of what Mad Men creator, Matthew Weiner gave the center to archive.
"It's a substantial archive. It's about 150 bankers boxes of scripts."
Wilson expects it will take about a year to catalog everything from the 92 production binders that include scripts and revisions, to advertising mock-ups, and character boards and props.
Then you have the costumes, including the nightgown Betty Draper wore while shooting at the neighbor's pigeons during season one. And, the yellow gown she wore in season six. There's also the blue and red skirt-suit worn by Peggy Olson.
"In addition to the history of the 1960's and women's roles and just general culture, you're also seeing the evolution of the motion picture in this archive," Wilson said.
Once cataloged the "Mad Men" archive at the Harry Ransom Center, even larger than the Smithsonian's, can be viewed by the public for research purposes.