Contributed by collector and Overstreet Advisor Art Cloos
Photos by Alice Cloos

In 1975, the hero of Themyscira transitioned from comics to television for the Wonder Woman TV show starring Lynda Carter. In honor of the beloved superhero show’s anniversary, The Paley Museum hosted A Superheroine Like No Other: Paley Celebrates 50 Years of Wonder Woman on Television.

William Paley was a businessman, best known as the chief executive who built CBS from a small radio network into the radio and television network it is today. In 1975, he created The Paley Center for Media, which is committed to the idea that many television and radio programs are significant works and should be preserved. Instead of collecting artifacts and memorabilia, the Paley Center comprises mostly screening rooms, including two full-sized theaters for viewing the nearly 160,000 television shows, commercials, and radio programs from their library. Among these is the Wonder Woman TV show starring Lynda Carter.

A prime focus of the museum is to explore the stories behind the media moments that shaped our world. Throughout the year, they host special discussions about significant media topics and momentous anniversaries, drawing from historical programs in the Paley Archive. Wonder Woman portrayed a strong, independent female superhero, which was a groundbreaking image for its time, that resonated with audiences and challenged gender roles in a male dominated television landscape. With this in mind, the cultural significance of the Wonder Woman TV show made it a prime candidate for an exhibition by the museum.

So, with March being Woman’s History Month, the museum is honoring the 50th anniversary of that show which burst onto television screens with her indestructible bracelets and lasso of truth on November 7, 1975. Part of that celebration was on Friday, March 14 when museum curator Allison Kraft led an afternoon’s “Conversation with the Curator” about the history and impact of Wonder Woman. There was a slide show discussing Wonder Woman’s roots and clips from the show out of the Paley Archives. Tickets for the event were sold out and the audience very much appreciated Kraft’s presentation.

The show spawned a significant number of collectibles from toys to costumes to games of all kinds, some of which featured Lynda Carter. As part of the exhibit, vintage Wonder Woman collectibles were on display that showed the impact Wonder Woman had on its audience. The items on display were loaned by noted collectors Susan Natoli and Alice Cloos, both of whom were excited to contribute to an exhibit of their favorite character. A good number of kids and adults had their pictures taken next to the displays.

The Paley Museum is located at 25 West 52 Street in New York City. The Wonder Woman exhibit will be open until Monday, March 30. The museum is open from 12 PM to 6 PM on Wednesdays through Sundays. Admission is $20 for adults, $16 for students, teachers, seniors, first responders, and veterans, and children under 12 get in for free.