Jim Henson’s Kermit the Frog Finds Home at Smithsonian

Brent Glass (L), director of the National Museum of American History, watches as Jane Henson, co-creator of the Muppets, signs papers during a ceremony on August 25. Mrs. Henson donated 10 of her late husband's characters from 'Sam and Friends' to the Museum. Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Kermit the Frog has moved to a new home with 9 other friends from from the TV show Sam and Friends.

Kermit was created by Jim Henson more than half a century ago. Originally the dull green frog with the quirky iconic voice was part of The Muppets collection. However in the 1950s Kermit became a TV figure in Sam and Friends singing “It’s Not Easy Being Green.”

Recently, Henson’s widow and Muppets co-creator, Jane Henson, donated Kermit and 9 other figures from the show to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington DC. Two of the other puppets were Pierre the French Rat and a monster named Mushmellon.

“I think people realized that if you put Kermit’s face up there, it was just as powerful,” she told The Philadelphia Tribune, “We were mostly just doing it to entertain ourselves.”

{etRelate 25886, 24896}Relate In fact, 30 years ago Kermit came to the Smithsonian to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Sesame Street so it is a fitting place to become his permanent home.

“With these puppets we provide insights into American identity, and we also explore entertainment and popular culture throughout our history,” said Museum director Brent Glass to CNN.