JAMESTOWN, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 26, 2019--As the world marks the 30 th anniversary of the passing of Lucille Ball, the new National Comedy Center – a state-of-the-art museum in Jamestown, New York that embodies Ball’s vision for a destination for the celebration of comedy – has announced a new initiative to digitally preserve the extensive archives of the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum.

ADVERTISEMENT

The National Comedy Center , which last month was designated by the United States Congress as the official national cultural institution dedicated to comedy, will begin to digitize hundreds of documents, photographs and media in the archives, in order to preserve this material for future generations and make it accessible to comedy fans from around the world. These archives include behind-the-scenes production papers, rare family and studio photographs, handwritten notes, letters and telegrams from notable figures to Ball and Arnaz, and much more – most of which have never been exhibited previously. This archival material will be made available within the National Comedy Center and Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum exhibits in the coming years.

Part of the National Comedy Center complex, the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum explores the legacy of the “First Couple of Comedy” and the remarkable impact they had on comedy and popular culture. It features original artifacts and material from Ball and Arnaz’s life and career, and their revolutionary impact on entertainment as founders of Desilu Productions, which, by 1962, became the largest independent television production company in the United States, producing legendary series including “I Love Lucy,” “Star Trek,” “Mission Impossible” and “The Untouchables,” as well as serving as the studio home for “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” The Andy Griffith Show, “The Jack Benny Program,” “The Danny Thomas Show,” “My Three Sons,” and many more.

ADVERTISEMENT

A selection of rare photos and artifacts from the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum archives can be found here: https://comedycenter.org/lucille-ball-30th-anniversary-photos/

The new National Comedy Center visitor experience, which presents the vital story of the art form across all eras and genres, opened in August 2018 and honors comedy’s great minds and unique voices – from Charlie Chaplin to today’s rising artists. The Comedy Center embodies Ball’s wish for her hometown to preserve comedy’s great heritage so that it would educate, engage and inspire future generations.

“Lucille Ball was a true pioneer, an innovator, and an immense talent. It has been our tremendous honor to make her dream a reality, with the opening of the National Comedy Center last August – and to see the incredible response from our visitors,” said National Comedy Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson. “Now, on this milestone anniversary, we look forward to digitally preserving our Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz archives in a way that makes their story forever-accessible and engaging for generations to come.”

With “I Love Lucy,” Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz created and starred in one of the most beloved series in television history. She was nominated for 13 Emmy awards, winning four times for her work in “I Love Lucy” and “The Lucy Show. Beyond her legacy as a comedic actress, Ball was the first female head of a major Hollywood production studio, and known to be a savvy business woman in an otherwise male-dominated industry. While she supported Jamestown’s early concepts to build a museum in her honor, she expressed the desire for it to be a much broader celebration and examination of comedy, which led to the development of the National Comedy Center, the first museum devoted to comedy as an art form.

The National Comedy Center has already welcomed visitors from all 50 states and 9 countries, and was named a “Best New Attraction” in the country by USA Today , voted 2 nd out of 20 attractions. The visitor experience has received a rare 5 out of 5 rating on Trip Advisor, ranking among the highest in the attraction and tourism industry.

With innovative technology, interactivity and content personalization, the 37,000-square-foot National Comedy Center complex has pioneered 21st-century museum design, in much the same way that Ball, Arnaz, and their team at Desilu Productions pioneered the technology for the three-camera production system employed for “I Love Lucy” – a production technique still commonly used today.

For over 25 years, the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival in Jamestown has showcased comedy’s rising young comedians and greatest stars, including Jerry Seinfeld, Amy Schumer, Jay Leno, Lily Tomlin, Lewis Black, Trevor Noah, Joan Rivers, Ellen DeGeneres, Jim Gaffigan, Paula Poundstone, Ray Romano, Bob Newhart and The Smothers Brothers, and over one hundred other comedic artists. The 28 th annual Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, presented by the National Comedy Center this August, will be headlined by Sebastian Maniscalco and John Mulaney.

About the National Comedy Center

The National Comedy Center is the United States’ official cultural institution dedicated to presenting the vital story of comedy and preserving its heritage for future generations, as formally designated by the U.S. Congress in 2019. Opened in August 2018 in Jamestown, New York, the museum complex offers an unprecedented visitor experience using state-of-the-art technology, interactivity and personalization to create the first true 21st Century museum environment.

Condé Nast Trav e ler called the National Comedy Center “One of the best museums in the country,” while comedy industry authority The Interrobang named the design team second on its list of “Innovators Who Changed Comedy” in 2018. The National Comedy Center was recently voted #2 “Best New Attraction” in the country, out of 20 new attractions, by USA Today readers, and chosen as the #1 museum and #1 ticketed attraction in this USA Today poll. Visitors from all 50 states and nine countries have given the Center a rare 5/5 rating on TripAdvisor, ranking among the highest in the attraction and tourism industry.

Based on the vision of Jamestown native Lucille Ball for her hometown to become a destination for comedy, the National Comedy Center showcases comedy’s great minds and unique voices in ways that engage, inspire, educate and entertain. As a non-profit institution, the National Comedy Center was funded by a mix of federal, state and private philanthropic support, including partnerships with I LOVE NEW YORK™, Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York State’s Empire State Development.

Featuring exclusive collections, world-class exhibits and leading-edge technology, the National Comedy Center presents an unprecedented, behind-the-scenes look at the time-honed creative processes that have elevated comedy entertainment to an art form. Over 50 innovative exhibits within the 37,000-square-feet facility enable visitors to take an interactive journey through comedy history, from early vaudeville to the latest viral memes. Throughout their personalized experience, visitors gain a profound appreciation for comedy icons and innovators, as well as for the tremendous influence of humor on how we think, live and laugh.

Design for the National Comedy Center was led by the most prominent cultural and interactive design firms in the world, whose portfolios collectively include the award-winning 9/11 Memorial Museum, The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, The College Football Hall of Fame, SNL: The Experience , and more.

The National Comedy Center has been embraced by the entertainment industry, with props, costumes and archival material provided by many of the most revered names in comedy. The Comedy Center recently announced a major initiative to preserve Carl Reiner’s personal “Dick Van Dyke Show” script archive. Exhibition partners include the Kelly Carlin and the George Carlin estate, George Shapiro and Jerry Seinfeld, Dan Aykroyd, Alan and Robin Zweibel, Joan Dangerfield, The Lenny Bruce Memorial Foundation, Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner, The Harold Ramis Family, The Garry Shandling Estate, George Schlatter, Bill Marx and the Harpo Marx Family, the Ernie Kovacs and Edie Adams estate, Desilu Too, NBC Universal, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Corporate Archive, and many more.

The National Comedy Center operates the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum, which explores the lives, careers and legacy of the “First Couple of Comedy,” and the incredible impact they had on the world.

Stay connected to the National Comedy Center:

Website: www.comedycenter.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nationalcomedycenter/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LucilleBallComedyFestival/

Follow on Twitter and Instagram at @ntlcomedycenter

View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190426005295/en/

CONTACT: Steve Neilans

716.484.2222

Sneilans@comedycenter.org

KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA NEW YORK

INDUSTRY KEYWORD: WOMEN ENTERTAINMENT ARTS/MUSEUMS TV AND RADIO OTHER ENTERTAINMENT TRAVEL DESTINATIONS VACATION OTHER TRAVEL CELEBRITY GENERAL ENTERTAINMENT PHILANTHROPY CONSUMER FOUNDATION FUND RAISING

SOURCE: National Comedy Center

Copyright Business Wire 2019.

PUB: 04/26/2019 08:59 AM/DISC: 04/26/2019 08:59 AM

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190426005295/en