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Archive for August, 2011

My 5 favorite things at the Mr. Rogers “Neighborhood Archive”

Tuesday, August 30th, 2011

ladyelaine_icecream

The Neighborhood Archive is a gathering place for “all things Mister Rogers” lovingly maintained by curator Tim, who adds to it regularly.

Five of my favorite discoveries:
1) If We Were All the Same, a storybook about Lady Elaine Fairchild discovering the Purple Planet.
2) The Matter of the Mittens, a 1973 storybook featuring Lady Elaine at her edgiest and King Friday ordering everyone to wear mittens in the middle of the summer.
3) A plastic trolley that plays “It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” as it rolls around.
4) The Mr. Rogers record player (this page has a bonus link to the Mr. McFeeley Speedy Delivery documentary DVD).
5) The Johnny Costa Plays Mister Rogers Neighborhood piano jazz LP.

Five things that I’ll be recommending for Tim the curator to include:
1) Footage from synth legend Bruce Haack’s appearance on the show. [Update: The whole thing’s now on YouTube]
2) More stuff about Chef Brockett.
3) A mid-fifties appearance by Johnny Costa and “Handyman” Joe Negri on Ken Griffin’s 67 Melody Lane.
4) The floppy blue record Lady Aberlin gave me at the Valley Fair Mall in 1975.
5) A terrific 1998 Esquire article by Tom Junod called “Can You Say…Hero?