Marionette
Pelham Puppets
Category
Toys
Date
Unknown
Materials
Wood, cardboard, felt, metal, straw and cotton thread
Measurements
Box –329 mm (length); 105 mm (width); 74 mm (depth), Puppet -325 mm (height)
Place of origin
Marlborough
Order this imageCollection
Sudbury Hall Museum of Childhood, Derbyshire
NT 662387
Summary
A wooden articulated Pelham Puppet Witch with control and strings attached, in its original cardboard box. She has a round wooden painted head with painted facial details (large slanting green eyes and large red lips). She has a large round turned nose. She has wooden neck, body, arms and legs all of which are painted flesh coloured. Her hands are flesh coloured cast metal. Her wooden feet are cylindrical with flat bases and are painted black. Her arms are jointed with metal loops at the shoulders, elbows and wrists as is her long cylindrical neck at the head. Her mouth is hinged at this joint, and opens to reveal four teeth and a red felt tongue. Her legs are jointed at the hips, knees and ankles using vertical metal plates which are fixed to one of the pieces of wood and slide up and down in a groove in the other piece of wood. She wears a long-sleeved, long black cotton dress and an apron and neckerchief made from red and white spotted cotton. She is also wearing a black felt pointed hat with a wide brim. Attached to her hands, by the strings which control them, is a broomstick made from straw. The cradle is made from 2 pieces of wood which pivot around a metal pin at the centre. The strings are made from different coloured cotton threads which are attached to metal 'eyes' screwed into the cradle. Each of these 'eyes' is surrounded by a plastic 'cup' whose colour corresponds with the colour of the thread. The original rectangular cardboard box has a colour-printed lid which has a yellow background. Around the sides of the box are images of several puppet characters made by Pelham, including this one and Mickey Mouse, Noddy, Pinocchio, etc. It also has various pieces of advertising and the manufacturers information printed on the box. Total number of items is 3.
Provenance
Donated to the Museum of Childhood by Mrs C. V. E. Benfield in September 2006.
Marks and inscriptions
On box lid: T. Cadbury WITCH TINA
Makers and roles
Pelham Puppets , maker