Mask
Mister Rogers would sometimes play with masks on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. He said that sometimes, when you're uncomfortable or shy, you might feel like putting on a mask. In this photo, Fred is sitting in his office at WQED.
The Fred Rogers Archive
The Fred Rogers Archive preserves over 22,000 items from Fred Rogers' personal and professional life. The Archive is essential to the work of the Fred Rogers Institute, and is a source for research into children’s television, early childhood development, and Fred Rogers’ unique role in bridging both fields. Undergraduate students, graduate students, and researchers may request access provisions to study Fred’s life and legacy. Please complete the form below to reach out to our Archivist. Below, you can explore a sampling of the Archive - you're sure to find a treasure!
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Daniel Singing
This clip of Daniel Tiger and Lady Aberlin is from "Making Mistakes" week. Inspired by events that happened earlier in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, Daniel is thinking about mistakes. He wonders if he is a mistake because he is tame and lives in a clock, unlike any other tigers he knows.
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Theater for the Deaf
Chef Brockett introduces Mister Rogers to two people who perform pantomime. The coach, Tim Scanlon, is deaf. Mister Rogers asks him to recite and mime a poem that most children would know. Mister Rogers wonders how his two new neighbors teach people pantomime, and they demonstrate by making an invisible banana split.
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Thoughts 1381-1385
"Thoughts for the Week" allow us to read why Fred Rogers presented certain topics on the Neighborhood, and how he tried to help children understand those themes. These thoughts are about fantasy and reality, wishing and hoping.
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David Newell Oral History
David Newell played Mr. McFeely for the entire run of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. He explains that Mister Rogers' Neighborhood was filmed like a live show, with very long takes. Although Fred was not always comfortable in front of the camera, he would light up when Mr. McFeely came to the door.
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What Do You Do?
In 1995, Fred Rogers devoted a week of programs to angry feelings. When Fred was angry, he would go to the piano and play out his feelings. During this "Mad Feelings" week of programs, viewers meet special guests and hear how they handle their emotions.
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Sign Language
Fred Rogers studied many languages throughout his life, including French, Spanish, Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and American Sign Language. He presented these languages in different ways throughout the Neighborhood series.
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Thoughts 1356-1360
The series of "Thoughts for the Week" offers us insight into Fred Rogers' goals with each week of programs he produced. During this week, Mister Rogers talks about moving quickly versus moving slowly. He points out that people with the same name are still different people.
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Promotion Packet August 1987
Going to school may be a child's first great transition in life. Because school is something that impacts all children, Fred Rogers devoted a week of Neighborhood episodes to the topic. This packet of materials was sent out to PBS stations to publicize the week of programs.
Contributing to the Archive
If you have an item you believe belongs in the Fred Rogers Archive, please let us know! The items in the Archive must be directly related to Fred Rogers and his production company. We do not accept self-created items such as creative, journalistic, or research writings, or artwork. We do not purchase items to include in the Archive or sell memorabilia from the Archive.