"The Mothership" is the centerpiece stage prop used by Clinton and his multiple bands during their live concert performances. This object is a near-exact replica of the slightly larger Mothership that was used exclusively at the closing moments of concerts during the height of the band's popularity from 1976-1981. This replica prop was built from metal, plastic, and glass in the mid 1990s and used on the "Mothership Reconnection Tour".

Stage costume worn by Jermaine Jackson and made by the International Costume Company, consisting of pants and a shirt. The shirt (2010.23.2a) is composed of a corduroy lime green fabric at the chest, upper proper right arm, and entire proper left arm. The torso is made from six horizontal panels in different colors (red, yellow, dark green, blue, dark purple, light purple) of the same fabric. The proper right arm from the elbow to the wrist is made of a light ruffled fabric with an orange and green floral pattern. The interior of the shirt, except for the floral section, is lined with the lime green fabric. The shirt has a v-neck collar and prominent lapels that have been stiffened with interior supports. There is a zipper running up nearly the entire back and two metal hook and eye fasteners on the back of the collar. The pants (2010.23.2b) are composed of four panels in two fabrics, three of which are a heavy material with a blue and white herringbone pattern and the other is a solid lime green material. The proper right leg has a decorative silk ribbon band attached just above the knee. The ribbons are sewn in a rainbow pattern with a Velcro closure which is secured to the leg with a length of thread sewn to the leg above and below the band. There are loose ribbons of various lengths hanging from the band. The embroidered label of the costume company is sewn into the back of the waist.

Alto saxophone owned and played by Charlie Parker. The saxophone consists of seven parts: a body, neck, two [2] mouthpieces, two [2] ligatures and a reed.2019.10.1a: The saxophone body is made of brass and has a sterling silver bell. Some of the keys have mother-of-pearl inlays. The bell is decorated with an engraved floral design with text on the front. The text reads [KING / Super / 20 / THE H.N. WHITE CO. /CLEVELAND – O]. Engraved above the bell lug at the bow of the saxophone is [STERLING / BELL]. Engraved in cursive text below this on the bell lug is [Charlie Parker]. Engraved on the back of the body at the bow, below the key guard is [295173].2019.10.1b: The alto saxophone neck is made of brass and is covered in cork where the neck attaches to the mouthpiece. Engraved on the neck screw at the bottom of the neck is [295173].2019.10.1c: The alto saxophone ligature is made of circular piece of metal. The ligature has two screws on the bottom to help support the reed in the mouthpiece.2019.10.1d: An alto saxophone mouthpiece. The mouthpiece is made of metal with a plastic inlay on the beak and red rubber around the shank. Engraved text on the left side of the body reads [Series GG 53]. Engraved text on the front of the body reads [MASTER / LINK / NY / MOUTHPIECE]. Engraved text on the right side of the body reads [MASTER / LINK / NY / MOUTHPIECE]. Engraved text around the shank of the mouthpiece reads [OTTO LINK & CO. INC. NEW YORK].2019.10.1e: An alto saxophone reed. The reed has black text on the back in the center of the reed. The text is printed over and around a musical clef and staff. Text written vertically and to the left of the musical clef is partially illegible. Part of it reads [Marque]. Text written over the musical staff reads [RICO] Text below the musical staff reads [REG U.S. PAT OFFICE]. Text written vertically to the right of the musical staff reads [V-2].2019.10.1f: An alto saxophone mouthpiece. The mouthpiece is made of white plastic. It has gold text on the top of the body, near the shank. The text reads [“King” A].2019.10.1g: The alto saxophone ligature is made of metal and fits on a metal mouthpiece cap when not assembled. The ligature has two screws.

A red dress designed by Diane von Furstenberg and worn by the singer Whitney Houston for her performance of the song “I Have Nothing” at the 1993 Billboard Awards. The dress is a very slim fitting full-length dress made from a red synthetic fabric, with full-length sleeves and a turtleneck collar. The bodice and sleeves of the dress are completely unadorned. Starting below the waist, the skirt is formed by tiers of fabric stitched on a bias. The tiers are of the same fabric as the bodice, and are trimmed all along each hem with beaded tassels of strung red bugle beads, reinforced with red twill tape on the interior. Five (5) tiers on the proper left descend in a criss-cross with the five (5) tiers on the proper right, with each subsequent tier stitched underneath the tier above. The proper right tiers wrap all the way around to the back of the dress, giving the appearance of five (5) tiers on the verso. The dress fastens with an inset red metal zipper that runs from the top of the turtleneck to just above the first tier. The dress is not lined.

A silver gelatin print depicting a black-and-white image of entertainer Gladys Bentley. Bentley is depicted facing the viewer in bust pose. She is wearing a black top hat, dark bow tie, a white dress shirt, and black tuxedo suit jacket. Her top hat is perched slightly towards her proper right shoulder. The edges of the image are faded into an oval-shaped, white background. The print does not have any inscriptions, front or back.

A light purple dress (a) with ivory embroidery and coordinating ivory belt (b) with beaded decoration worn by Dionne Warwick.(a): Lilac purple dress with long sleeves and a full skirt. The dress is made of a lilac organza layered over ivory organza and decorated with an ivory machine-embroidered abstract floral design. Embroidered leaves, attached all over the dress on the bodice, sleeves and skirt, hang loose as three-dimensional elements. The bodice of the dress is fitted with an ivory notched spread collar. The bodice is fully lined with ivory synthetic fabric. The dress closes at the center front with a metal zipper that begins below the waist and ends at the center bust. There is a single metal hook-and-eye fastener above the zipper. The full-length sleeves are fitted to the elbow, with the forearms having large pleats, ending in fitted ivory cuffs that fasten with two (2) ivory fabric-covered buttons on each cuff. The skirt of the dress is very full with a floor-length hemline, and has two under-layers of petticoats. The innermost petticoat is an ivory synthetic fiber lined in an ivory synthetic satin, with two tiers of ivory organza ruffles sewn along at the exterior bottom. The outer petticoat is made of two layers of ivory organza. The initials of the designer, "MT", are handwritten in black ink at the interior proper right back of the bodice.(b): Wide ivory belt with rhinestones and beaded tassel. The belt is faced with an ivory organza and edged in ivory satin. A large flower made of white and clear rhinestones is sewn at the center front, which is slightly wider than the rest of the belt. Six (6) long strands of varying lengths with white, clear, and silver beads hang from the center of the flower. Each beaded strand ends in a beaded tassel with nine (9) strands. The belt is lined with ivory leather. It fastens at the center back with two (2) metal hook-and-eye closures.

A program for the opera Porgy and Bess. The program is twenty pages long and features a variety of advertisements for other plays and products. The front cover is a line drawing of a street scene. Text at the top margin reads "NATIONAL / America's First Theatre." Text along the bottom margin reads "PORGY and BESS."

Acrylic painting over carving on a wood board depicts Fats Domino playing the piano on the roof of his flooded studio. Outlines of figures and objects are carved into the wood, then painted over. Fats Domino is wearing a turquoise suit and is playing a white piano labelled "Steinway". Over his head are the words "Ain't that a shame." His studio, a small yellow house, is surrounded by water and framed by two telephone poles, complete with wires that are breaking off at the top. The studio has a sign in the front window that reads "Fats Domino Studio" and a sign over the door that reads "studio." In front of the house is a bright pink Cadillac, being flooded by water. There are small indistinct objects floating in the water in the foreground. The artist has signed the work on the bottom right. There is a small natural knot hole through the board at bottom left.

A fan letter sent to Charley Pride from Captain Jeff Wells while serving in United States Army. The letter is handwritten in blue ink on yellow paper. In the letter, Jeff Wells thanks Charley Pride for making music that allowed him to temporarily escape from the war in Iraq. Also included are four images of Wells while serving in Iraq. The images are printed on a white piece of paper in landscape view (2012.125.76.1.6b). The images are attached to letter with a metal staple.

A hat worn by Dr. Isaac Ben Greggs, the Director of the Southern University - Baton Rouge marching band nicknamed "The Human Jukebox." The military-style peaked cap has a navy crown with an gold embroidered “S” at center front. The sideband and bill are black felt embellished with embroidered gold leaves. Gold cording, knotted twice in front, is attached to the front sideband by looping around two (2) gold buttons, one attached to each side of the cap at the temple. The buttons have a lyre design. There are two (2) small black grommets on either side of the hat, above the felt sideband.In the interior of the cap, there a black plastic sweatband covered with black leather vinyl. There is a plastic support in the interior of the front of the cap. Inside the crown is lined with clear plastic. In the center of the clear plastic lining, there is a rectangular sleeve to hold a card or label. Attached to the clear plastic lining, In between the sleeve and the bill, is a round sticker. The sticker is yellow with a black trim, and has text in black with red accents: [DeMoulin], [618/664-2000], [5], and [Greenville, Illinois 62246]. Printed onto the underside of the cap, in between the sleeve and the back of the cap, is the text: [BAYLY, INC./HOLLYWOOD, FLA.]. Underneath the sweatband at the back of the cap is a manufacturer's label with the text: [Manufactured By: / BAYLY, INC. / Hollywood, Florida / U.S.A. / (L) 7 1/2-7 3/8]. The back of this label contains cleaning instructions.