National Museum of American History Is Asking the Public to Help Transcribe Phyllis Diller’s Gag File

The National Museum of American History is asking the public to help transcribe late comedian Phyllis Diller‘s extensive gag file of more than 52,000 jokes and stories. Users can visit the Smithsonian’s online transcription center to read scanned cards from the file and type their content from anywhere in the world.

A number of volunteers are sharing their favorite joke discoveries to Twitter with the hashtag #DillerFile.

Phyllis Diller kept Americans in stitches throughout her five-decade-long career in comedy, lampooning famous people, fads, family—and that is just one drawer. She kept all of her jokes meticulously organized in her “gag file,” a large card catalog with 51 drawers standing over 4 feet tall. We’re giving you a chance to peek inside Diller’s gag file before anyone else, to help us transcribe these pieces of American history. But how did these jokes end up at the museum?

via David Friedman

Glen Tickle
Glen Tickle

Amelia's dad. Steph's husband. Writer, comedian, gentleman. Good at juggling, bad at chess.

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