This booth was made by Punch and Judy performer Gus Wood, in about 1912. He travelled with this booth in its accompanying canvas bag for 50 years, giving shows alongside his assistant Bimbo.
The booth, made of wood, metal and striped canvas, also includes Wood’s cast of puppets, and a range of accessories that suggest a noisy, lively puppet show.
Bimbo, the ‘bottler’, would wear the black silk opera hat and attract a crowd using the drum and pan pipes. Once the show started, Gus Wood could look out through a slit in the canvas to watch the reactions of the crowd.
Punch and Judy is an improvised theatrical form, based around a conventional storyline. So each Punch performer would have used the same characters – Punch, Judy, the Baby, the Policeman, Doctor, Hangman, Crocodile etc – but performed the narrative differently.
Gus Wood had two special sound effects as part of his show. The interminable cries of the baby that annoy Punch so much were created by a deflating rubber balloon, and the frightening advance of the crocodile would be accompanied by the turning of a metal grater.
Gus Wood used this booth for fifty years, until he retired in 1962. The same year, he celebrated Punch’s 300th anniversary in Covent Garden, and collected signatures from all the performers in attendance on his drum.
Physical description
A collapsible Punch and Judy Booth with puppets and accessories. There are ten puppets in total: Punch, Judy, the Baby, the Crocodile, the Constable, the Executioner, the Ghost, Dr Sawbones, Uncle Joe and Joey the clown. The booth is made of wood, metal and canvas and was used by Gus Wood.
[Puppet booth] Metal and wooden frame covered with blue and white striped tent canvas, with a blue cotton fringe. Slit in the canvas 10 - 15cm below the playboard. Arch around stage is of metal and wood, painted in shades of green to resemble marble. The wooden playboard is partly painted white. The draw curtain is green/blue corduroy with gold coloured fringe hung from a rail. The drop curtain is dark blue, and features words 'Punch His Palace' in white. It is worked by lowering and raising cord in front left hand corner. Both curtains are worked by pulling white cords in the front left hand corner.
A large canvas case contains the booth when dismantled.
[Puppet Punch] Wooden head, brightly painted with red cheeks, nose and chin. Wooden hands are painted pink, legs are black and yellow. Hair is made of fur. Punch's cap is made of red cotton damask and trimmed with white and yellow braid, with two pearl buttons and a metal and glass circular brooch. Punch's body is made of yellow, red and blue fabric with red sleeves, trimmed with yellow braid, and a hump attached. He wears a gathered white cotton ruff around his neck, trimmed with blue, yellow and red braid.
[Puppet Judy] Wooden head painted pink with painted features, and wooden hands painted pink. She wears a white cotton cap with pink ribbons. Red printed cotton dress trimmed with lace at the collar and cuffs, and a white cotton apron trimmed with yellow braid. The glove is lined with tent canvas.
[Puppet Baby] Dutch wooden doll missing right arm. Painted wearing a white cotton dress with lace and pink ribbon.
[Puppet Constable] Wooden head painted pink with painted features and hair made of fur, wooden hands painted yellow. Wearing a navy blue woollen hat with yellow and white braid. Shoulder cape of red felt with yellow braid, over a gown of dark blue wool trimmed with yellow braid. Jacket front of red and black felt, blue tie, and six pearl buttons. Metal whistle on chain.
[Puppet Joey] Wooden head painted yellow with heair of fur. White cotton ruffs at neck and hem of shirt and skirt, trimmed with red, yellow and blue braid. White cotton shirt of white cotton lined with tent canvas.
[Puppet Uncle Joe] Wooden head painted black with painted features, hair made of fur. Printed cotton shirt with red and yellow trim and four pearl buttons. Trousers made of blue and white striped cotton. Glove of cotton and green velvet.
[Puppet Master Marwood] Wooden head and hands painted pink, with hair of fur. Wearing a white tie, black woollen gown and gloves trimmed with white braid.
[Puppet Crocodile] Green painted wooden head with black, brown and white eyes, red inside mouth and white teeth. Glove blody is made of green cotton. The top of the head and the glove are covered with sequins.
[Puppet Dr Sawbones] Wooden head and hands painted pink, hair made of fur. Wearing a white tie, blue woollen gown with red felt trim and eight pearl buttons.
[Puppet Ghost] Wooden head and hands painted cream with black features. Hands are pink, gown is white cotton, wearing a white scarf.
[Snare drum] Round wood and metal frame with stretched skin. The underside is signed with several different inks.
Place of Origin
England, Great Britain (made)
Czech Republic (made)
Date
ca. 1912 (made)
1930 - 1939 (printed)
Artist/maker
Gus Wood (Some figures were carved by Gus Wood, others were acquired at the time he started as a puppeteer. In, makers)
Acme Whistles (Whistle attached to puppet., manufacturers)
Thomas Townend & Co. (manufacturers)
Materials and Techniques
Carved wood and other material
Marks and inscriptions
[Snare drum] Saint Pauls Church
Covent Garden
26 May 1962
Percy Press
John Cooman(?), Llandudno
Tom Coombs, Canterbury
Hugh Cecil, New Malden
Professor John Stafford, Paignton, Goodrington
Roger Alebridge, London
Dustini, Shropshire Wem (Shrewsbury)
Billy Llewellyn, Darlington
Glyn Edwards, Kingston Upon Thames
Clown Jimmy, ICCC, 11 Bishop Road, Hunstanton, Norfolk
Ernest Busbane, Swanage, Dorset
J W Martindale, West Hartlepool, Co. Durham
T Lumnie, South Ficht, Bourne End
Gus Wood, London 1912 to 1962
Clarence May
Arthur Hambling, Maidenhead
Ian Goodell, Hemel Hempstead
P Goodell – “ –
R Cochlan, Liverpool
Ian(?) Baines
(?) Norman, Carshalton
Uncle Steve Gawley, Worthing
Prof. Lenware, Harrow
Clown C. Tomkins, Kington Surrey
Piet Tovenaal(?), London
Joe Bechy, London
[Leaflet] 'For Your Children's Party.
Gus Wood's
Up-to-date
Punch and Judy
The Children's Favourite
Musical and Novelty Clowns,
Conjuring, Ventriloquism, etc.'
Dimensions
[Puppet booth] Height: 98 in, Width: 48 in widest part, Width: 34 1/2 in narrowest part, Depth: 34 in
[Puppet Punch] Height: 5 1/2 in head, Length: 30 1/4 in total
[Puppet Judy] Height: 3 1/2 in head, Length: 22 1/4 in whole
[Puppet Baby] Length: 9 in
[Puppet Joey] Height: 3 1/2 in head, Length: 22 3/4 in whole
[Puppet Uncle Joe] Height: 3 1/2 in head, Length: 22 in whole
[Puppet Master Marwood] Height: 3 1/2 in head, Length: 19 1/4 in whole
[Puppet Crocodile] Height: 3 1/2 in head, Length: 19 1/4 in whole
[Puppet Dr Sawbones] Height: 3 1/2 in head, Length: 19 1/2 in
[Puppet Ghost] Height: 3 1/4 in, Length: 19 in
[Snare drum] Diameter: 15 in, Height: 5 5/8 in
[Leaflet] Height: cm 20.8, Width: 13 cm folded
Object history note
Wood used a piece of fabric or oilcloth hanging on the front of the booth to advertise his services. Next to a profile picture of Punch, was inscribed: 'For your childrens party, Gus Woods up-to-date Punch & Judy'
Descriptive line
A collapsible Punch and Judy Booth with puppets and accessories, England, about 1912
[Puppet booth] Striped canvas booth with accessories used by puppeteer and partners, sound effects, and props used by puppets.
[Puppet Punch] Punch glove puppet, wood and fabric.
[Puppet Judy] Judy, glove puppet, wood and fabric
[Puppet Baby] Baby, doll, wood and fabric
[Puppet Constable] Constable, glove puppet, wood and fabric with metal whistle.
[Puppet Joey] Joey, Clown glove puppet, wood and fabric
[Puppet Uncle Joe] Uncle Joe, glove puppet, wood and fabric
[Puppet Master Marwood] Master Marwood, Executioner, glove puppet, wood and fabric
[Puppet Crocodile] Crocodile, glove puppet, wood and fabric
[Puppet Dr Sawbones] Dr Sawbones, glove puppet, wood and fabric
[Puppet Ghost] Ghost, glove puppet, wood and fabric
[Snare drum] Round snare drum with black belt and sticks, and white canvas bag. Used by Wood's assistant Bimbo. The drum has been signed by Punch and Judy performers who attended Punch's Tercentenary celebrations in Covent Garden, 1962.
[Leaflet] Black silk, collapsible, opera hat worn by Wood's assistant, Bimbo.
Production Note
used between 1912 - 1962 by Mr Gus Wood
Materials
Paper; Wood; Metal; Canvas
Techniques
Printed
Subjects depicted
Men; Figures; Women; Theatre; Punch; Babies; Covent Garden; Clowns; Judy; Constable
Categories
Entertainment & Leisure; Children & Childhood; Dolls & Toys
Production Type
Unique
Collection code
MoC
