A young Will Ferrell, Chris Parnell, and Jimmy Fallon shuffle around a staged recording studio, holding guitars. Nearly unrecognizable beneath floppy, shagged wigs, the trio reenacts the capture of the 1976 hit “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper.” The audience erupts with laughter each time Christopher Walken bursts through the studio door as a producer insisting the song needs “More cowbell.” It’s hard to name a single, defining sketch from Saturday Night Live’s 50-year history, but “More Cowbell,” the April 8, 2000 sketch written by Ferrell, is a strong contender. The bell itself—struck by Ferrell with hip-swinging gusto—is among the show’s most memorable icons. Now, visitors can see it at the University of Texas, where the pop culture relic is on display just steps beyond the collection’s Gutenberg Bible.
On Sept. 20, the Harry Ransom Center debuted “Live from New York: The Lorne Michaels Collection,” an exhibition showcasing archival materials, including annotated scripts, costumes, and photographs, that detail the career of legendary producer and comedian Lorne Michaels. The show features materials recently gifted by Michaels to the center. While Michaels doesn’t have personal ties to UT or the state of Texas, the move was a recognition of the center’s outstanding reputation for preservation, as well as its notable film and television collection.
“We have really signature collections like our photography collection—some of the world’s earliest photographs are here—our early books and manuscripts collection, the Gutenberg and Shakespeare’s folios,” explains Erica Nunn-Kinias, Associate Director of Exhibitions and Public Programs. “But what is interesting about this gift is that it signals to the broader community that this is not a place where things go and no one can touch them.”
“[The collection] is alive, the show is still airing, it’s still going on,” she says, explaining that Michaels, who is still producing SNL in its 51st season, will continue to contribute pieces to the archive. “So, it brings us up into the present moment and reminds people that these types of institutions are active and growing and not just focused on the past.”
Beyond objects like the cowbell, the exhibition gives insight into Michaels’ creativity and the process of producing SNL. An annotated “Wayne’s World’ script belonging to writer Jim Downey, marked up from a table read, captures the coining of the catchphrase, “Party time! Excellent!”
Michaels’ letters, notes, and memorabilia take their rightful place within the history of cinema here at the Ransom Center, alongside the largest trove of archival material from Gone with the Wind writer and producer David O. Selznick, Robert De Niro’s donated personal stock of scripts and costumes, and Don Draper’s iconic fedora from Mad Men.
The exhibition, which works through SNL’s 50-year history chronologically, showcases a mere 1% of the total materials acquired by the Ransom Center. Instead of being comprehensive, the gallery is curated to give a narrative sense of Michael’s life—including his work on projects like Mean Girls and 30 Rock. It also acts as a teaser trailer for the massive catalogue of resources now available to visitors and to Austin’s rapidly growing entertainment industry.
“On the ground floor is a big exhibition space where we tell stories with the material,” explains Nunn-Kinias. “And on the second floor is our reading room, where you can request anything. You can come in—you can be a member of the public, a student, or a faculty member—and request to see Walt Whitman’s original draft of Leaves of Grass, and it’s brought to you.”
“Live from New York: The Lorne Michaels Collection” is on display at the Harry Ransom Center through March 20, 2026. On Thursday, Sept. 25, the center will host biographer Susan Morrison, author of Lorne: The Man Who Invented ‘Saturday Night Live, for a discussion and book signing.
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