Puppet
- Place of origin:
Marlborough, England (designed and made)
- Date:
1960s (designed and made)
1963 (designed and made)
1963 (designed and made)
- Artist/Maker:
Pelham Puppets Ltd (designer and maker)
- Materials and Techniques:
[puppet] Carved, painted and clothed
[box] Printed cardboard
- Credit Line:
Given by Penny Kelly and Thomas Witham-Kelly
- Museum number:
- Gallery location:
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Pelham Puppets was a hugely popular British toy making company set up in 1947 by Bob Pelham in Malborough, Wiltshire. From 1947 to the closure of the business in 1993 they made thousands of different characters and ranges of puppets for children including hand and marionette varieties.
Pelham puppets used simple construction methods, materials and influences that reflected the decades in which they were made. Pelham puppets often took influence from popular fairy tales and stories for their puppets. This particular puppet depicts a wolf, possibly related to Little Red Riding Hood or The Three Little Pigs.
Physical description
[puppet] Marionette of a wolf with a solid moulded wooden head (SL series). The body of the puppet is made of more crudely formed blocks of wood (where the trousers and fur covers these) and more detailed wooden moulded and white gloved painted hands and head. All joints can be articulated through tied string. The feet are hollow and made oversized and painted yellow.
The wolfs' face has been made of a solid moulded and carved wood and has been painted with details showing sharp pointy teeth and hairy face. He is wearing multi-coloured checkered material trousers and a a black cape stating 'Copyright: Pelham Puppets Ltd. 1963 with artificial grey fur on his upper body and back of head. The material used is machine stitched.
The wolf still has his strings for each body part. Cotton has been strung to his ears. There are drilled holes in the hands and feet where operational strings have been attached. He also bears the Pelham stamp on his wooden cross bar used to operate him.
[box] Yellow coloured box introduced for animals and larger puppets in 1963, used until 1986. Instructions since been lost. Stamped with 'WOLF' on side of box.
[box] White base to box, part of yellow coloured box introduced for animals and larger puppets in 1963, used until 1986. Instructions since been lost.
Place of Origin
Marlborough, England (designed and made)
Date
1960s (designed and made)
1963 (designed and made)
1963 (designed and made)
Artist/maker
Pelham Puppets Ltd (designer and maker)
Materials and Techniques
[puppet] Carved, painted and clothed
[box] Printed cardboard
Dimensions
Height: 10.2 cm, Width: 13 cm, Length: 34.8 cm
[puppet] Height: 78.5 cm, Width: 18.2 cm
[box] Height: 10.2 cm, Length: 34.8 cm, Width: 13 cm
[box] Height: 10.2 cm, Length: 34.8 cm, Width: 13 cm
Object history note
The puppets were given to the donor by her Mother, Maggie Witham in about 1963 when she was about five years old and living in Chiselhurst in Kent. They were subsequsently played with by the donor's son, Thomas Witham-Kelly
Descriptive line
Jointed marionette puppet in shape of wolf wearing trousers and cape complete with original coloured Pelham puppet box, ca.1963.
Materials
Wood; Material
Techniques
Carving; Machine sewing
Categories
Children & Childhood; Dolls & Toys
Production Type
[puppet] Mass produced
Collection code
MoC
