Puppets Collection

Pelham puppets
Five puppets by the famous, puppet making family business, Pelham, in a stage setting contrived of cardboard painted with distemper mixed with Alabastine

Fulton Mackay and Sprocket, filming in Cornwall
The actor Fulton Mackay (1922-1987) and Sprocket, filming the TV series Fraggle Rock at St Anthonys Lighthouse near Falmouth, Cornwall

Music cover for Two Marionettes Polka, composed by May Ostlere. Two puppets (without strings!) are depicted dancing on a small stage, framed by red and gold curtains

Punch & Judy in Street
Grown-ups and children gather round a Punch & Judy in the street

Hogarth / British Stage
A JUST VIEW OF THE BRITISH STAGE or Three heads are better than one, scene Newgate

Filming Thunderbirds
Filming the classic 1960s series Thunderbirds, a British mid-1960s science fiction television show devised by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and made by AP Films

Mr Punch and Toby
Punch and Toby

Ken Dodd in the Diddy Village with the props for his new children show for the BBC, pictures taken at the BBC Dickenson Road Studios. 4th November 1968

Filming Thunderbirds
Filming the classic 1960s series Thunderbirds, a British mid-1960s science fiction television show devised by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and made by AP Films

Punch and Judy
Children gather to watch a Punch and Judy show

Punch, Toby, Clown
Mr Punch with Toby the dog and a clown

Punch Throws Baby (Anon)
Mr Punch throws the baby in the air

Punch, Judy, Baby
Punch, Judy and the baby

Filming Thunderbirds
Filming the classic 1960s series Thunderbirds, a British mid-1960s science fiction television show devised by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and made by AP Films

Sicilian Puppets
Artist: Freedman, Barnett - Title: Sicilian Puppets - Date: 1933 - Original Medium and Size: Oil on Canvas 100.3 x 62.2

Record Sleeve, Pinky and Perky
78rpm Record Sleeve, Pinky and Perky, the sensational TV singing stars. 1958

Punch and Judy show on the beach, Cornwall
Children watching a Punch and Judy show on the beach, Cornwall. Date: circa 1970s

Luciano Pavarotti. Creator: Dan Springer
Luciano Pavarotti

Puppet show seen from inside the box
Au Bon Marche - puppet show seen from inside the box - a man with two glove puppets. (1 of 2) Date: circa 1890s

Wayang puppet theatre and Gamelan Orchestra - Java
Wayang - Javanese puppet theatre (sometimes the puppet itself is referred to as wayang). Performances of shadow puppet theatre are accompanied by a gamelan orchestra in Java (now Indonesia)

Chinese Puppet Theatre
A street puppet show. The automaton figures are operated by a set of strings

Puppets in shop, Old Town, Prague, Czech Republic, Europe

Punch & Judy / Jarvis
Watching a Punch & Judy show in a park

Punch & Judy (Crane)
Punch and Judy show entertains small audience

Napoleon at St Helena, guarded by the British (colour litho)
3091136 Napoleon at St Helena, guarded by the British (colour litho) by Job, pseudonym for Onfray de Breville, Jacques (1858-1931); Private Collection; (add.info.: Napoleon at St Helena)

Gerry Anderson creator of Stingray and wife Sylvia

Indian Puppet Show for European Children
Kaut-pootlies, or Puppets exhibited by Native Jugglers, for the amusement of European children. (Plate 18 of 20). Date: 1813

Punch in Suburban St
Punch & Judy Show in a suburban street

PUNCH & JUDY / 1885
A Punch and Judy show entertains a happy crowd of people at the seaside

Collection of water puppets, Hanoi, Vietnam, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Shadow puppets. Print shows two geishas entertaining a man, one is making shadow puppets and the other is playing a shamisen. Date between 1716 and 1741

Punch at Blackpool
A crowd gather to watch a Punch and Judy show in Blackpool

Punch at Okehampton
Punch & Judy show in a street in Okehampton, Devon

Puppets, Tournai
TOURNAI, Belgium Traditional Guignol de la Maison Tournaisienne (puppet theatre)

Guignol in French Park
A dramatic moment in a Guignol performance in a French park : but the blase girl in the foreground has seen it before and knows how it will end

Watching Le Guignol
Children watching a Guignol show - a delightful variety of facial expressions !

Chinese puppet show, Qing Dynasty. The puppeteer is completely hidden inside a curtained theatre
FLO4590473 Chinese puppet show, Qing Dynasty. The puppeteer is completely hidden inside a curtained theatre and works the puppets in a window above his head

Travelling Puppet Show, 1812 (stipple engraving)
1574806 Travelling Puppet Show, 1812 (stipple engraving); (add.info.: Travelling puppet show, China, 1812. Stipple engraving, London, 1812.); Universal History Archive/UIG.

The Puppets, c1764. Creator: Giovanni Volpato
The Puppets, c1764. Series: Le Arti per Via

Molière ayant la douleur de s'entendre interpreter avec une pratique, 1864. Creator: Cham
Moliere ayant la douleur de s'entendre interpreter avec une pratique, 1864. Caricature of the playwright Moliere covering his ears on seeing his play Tartuffe performed at a Punch-and-Judy puppet

Woman Making Rabbit Shadow for Small Boy, 1807. Creator: Shinsai
Woman Making Rabbit Shadow for Small Boy, 1807

Oh! Papa, Papa...v'là un beau polichenelle.. 1851. Creator: Honore Daumier
Oh! Papa, Papa...v'la un beau polichenelle.. 1851. - Oh! papa, papa...v'la un beau polichinelle qui ressemble a mon oncle Cabassol...faut me l'acheter!...'

'The shadow show; A Cruise to Soo-chow, 1875. Creator: Lindley, Augustus Frederick
The shadow show; A Cruise to Soo-chow, 1875. From, Illustrated Travels by H.W. Bates. [Cassell, Petter, and Galpin, c1880, London]

Fantoche, 1874. Creator: Félicien Rops
Fantoche, 1874

Man shows two children toys on the pavement outside a print shop, c.1875-c.1925. Creator: Pedro de Weyer
Man shows two children toys on the pavement outside a print shop, c.1875-c.1925. A man shows a toy horse to a boy holding a dog and a girl with a doll. Behind them three men look at a display of books

Le nouveau polichinelle napolitan, 19th century. Creator: Honore Daumier
Le nouveau polichinelle napolitan, 19th century. The new Neapolitan Polichinelle

Village with a Puppeteer Entertaining a Small Crowd, c.1650-c.1660. Creator: Peeter Gysels
Village with a Puppeteer Entertaining a Small Crowd, c.1650-c.1660

Les Mannequins Politiques, 19th century. Creator: Honore Daumier
Les Mannequins Politiques, 19th century. Political models

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"Puppets: A Timeless Art Form Unveiling Endless Possibilities" Step into the enchanting world of puppets, where strings come alive and imagination knows no bounds. From the iconic Pelham puppets to the unforgettable characters brought to life by Fulton Mackay and Sprocket in Cornwall, this captivating art form has captured hearts for generations. Intriguing melodies fill the air as marionettes gracefully dance across a stage, their movements synchronized with music like the mesmerizing Two Marionettes Polka album cover. Meanwhile, Punch & Judy take center stage on bustling streets, entertaining crowds with their timeless antics that have delighted audiences since Hogarth's era on British stages. Even beloved comedians like Ken Dodd couldn't resist the allure of puppetry. In Diddy Village, he masterfully wielded props for his new children's show on BBC, bringing joy to young viewers through vibrant characters such as Punch, Toby, and Clown. Puppetry's reach extends beyond traditional performances; it has even found its place in film sets. Behind-the-scenes glimpses reveal Thunderbirds being filmed with meticulous attention to detail. The magic unfolds as strings are pulled and intricate mechanisms bring these heroic marionettes to life before our eyes. Yet amidst all the laughter and wonderment lies a darker tale - "Punch Throws Baby" - an anonymous masterpiece showcasing Mr. Punch's mischievous nature while challenging societal norms through satire. This controversial piece reminds us that puppetry is not only about entertainment but also serves as a powerful medium for social commentary. Through it all remains one constant: Mr. Punch alongside his loyal companions Judy and Baby continue to captivate audiences worldwide with their timeless charm and misadventures that transcend language barriers. So let us celebrate puppets – those magical beings who transport us into realms unknown – whether they're gracing our screens or taking center stage under bright lights.