At the end of 2021, just shy of her 100th birthday, we lost Betty White. White began her career as a radio performer, starred in some of the first-ever sitcoms, and was the first female producer of a sitcom. She became beloved for her roles as Sue Ann in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and as Rose in Golden Girls. Later in life, White became a kind of patron saint of finding success in her 80s and 90s—a feat we don't often see in Hollywood!
This pop-up installation features photographs of Betty White from the Billy Rose Theatre Division that document her most popular television roles, a lesser-known stage role, and her induction into the Television Hall of Fame. It also includes ephemera from White's life and acting career, such as an original script from an episode of The Golden Girls, and a dress design hand drawn by Alvin Colt for White for her appearance on a 1990 TV special, "Night of 100 Stars."
The "First Lady of Television" received many awards and honors during her lifetime, but perhaps none are greater than the outpouring of affection shown in the wake of her death, which we at the Library for the Performing Arts share with her many fans.
