By Bill Parry
The Museum of the Moving Image will open a major new exhibition March 14 celebrating “Mad Men,” one of the most acclaimed television series in recent decades, as the show begins its final season. The exhibition, “Matthew Weiner’s Mad Men,” will feature large-scale sets including Don Draper’s office and the Draper kitchen, over 25 iconic costumes, hundreds of props, advertising art, video clips, and personal notes and research material from Weiner.
Emmy Award-winner Weiner, the show’s creator, writer, and executive producer, will appear at the Museum March 20 for a conversation about the creation and production of the series that has aired on AMC since 2007.
“‘Mad Men’ is much more than a popular television series, it has become a cultural touchstone inspiring a renewed interest in a critical time in the country’s history,” said Barbara Miller, MOMI curator of the collection and exhibitions. “With the generous participation of Matthew Weiner and his production team, we are able to reveal how Weiner’s profound commitment to exploring cultural history and human relationships informed the production of ‘Mad Men’ and offer unique insight into the creative process behind the series.”
Set in a 1960s Madison Avenue advertising firm, “Mad Men” follows the professional and personal life of Don Draper, played by John Hamm. The series, distributed by Lionsgate, has won 15 Emmys and four Golden Globes.
Writers Guild of America ranked “Mad Men” seventh on a list of the 101 best written television series of all time.
“We are grateful to AMC, Lionsgate and the extraordinarily talented team of creative professionals behind ‘Mad Men’ for giving us an unprecedented degree of access to objects that inform and define this landmark television series,” MOMI Executive Director Carl Goodman said.
The museum, at 36-01 35th Ave. in Astoria, explores film, television and digital media by presenting exhibitions, education programs and screenings. Over 50,000 students visit the theater each year.
“Museum of the Moving Image brings a unique curatorial vision to the making of ‘Mad Men,’ a show whose poetic storytelling and meticulous craftsmanship is unparalleled,” AMC President Charlie Collier said. “In addition to putting AMC on the map, ‘Mad Men’ is credited for helping usher in the second Golden Age of Television. I cannot think of any other television series more worthy of an exhibition of this scale at MOMI.”
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparr
