Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gormé

For half a century, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé sang, joked, and charmed their way into the hearts of Americans. Coming up through the New York City music scene, they became a duo in the late 1950s, and went on to sell millions of records and appear on hundreds of television shows. Singing showtune medleys, songs from their famous friends, and a roster of this own hits, the husband-and-wife team enchanted audiences at venues around the country. At the Latin Casino in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, they played to 2,000 dinner guests per show.  In 1989, Steve and Eydie’s national tour numbers rivaled Bon Jovi and The Grateful Dead, but they lived and worked in Las Vegas. In 1996, Steve explained to Newsday the secret to their enduring success: “We’ve always done what we do. People know what to expect.”

The clothing and accessories displayed here speak to Steve and Eydie as traveling performers who required makeup cases, travel trunks, and sewing kits. Merging fashion and function, these objects were centerstage in an ever-evolving act that won over even the most cynical of critics. In 1993, a reviewer for the Boston Globe wrote that Steve and Eydie were “at the top of their form stylistically” complete with “pinpoint phrasing and combined vocal wallop.” On stage, they were mesmerizing because “Darn it, they're fun to watch.”