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Prince Charming

Prince Charming, Marionette
1965-1969
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Jointed marionette puppet of wood, metal, plaster and cloth with wood and metal control and multicoloured strings.
The puppet itself has a moulded head and dowel stick neck. It is painted pink with blue eyes highlighted with black and white, black stroke eyebrows and a closed mouth painted red. The hair is white nylon mohair which is long and held by a blue ribbon at the nape. The torso is made of two part, upper/chest and lower/hips. The legs and arms are each made of two pieces of dowel (arms painted pink and legs white); the legs are thicker than the arms. The hands are made of moulded pink plaster and the feet of rounded blocks of wood painted black. The head, body and arms are joined by steel eyelet screws, while the legs are jointed at the hips, knees and ankles by steel plates, nailed into each part. The strings are knotted to various parts of the body - two black ones to the head by steel eyelets painted pink on either side; two reds ones, to the hands; two blue ones just above the knees and a yellow one to the back of the body. The strings are tied to the wooden control, two bars of wood linked together by a large metal clip which will allow the bars to twist out to form a +. The red ones are tied to an eyelet covered with a red plastic dome, the blue ones to two eyelets covered with a blue plastic dome and the yellow likewise attached to an eyelet covered by a yellow plastic dome. At the top of the bars is a large black metal hook which can be used to hang the puppet up.
The puppet is dressed as a young man in red rayon jacket, pale blue rayon breeches, yellow cotton shirt front and white nylon net shirt frill.

Window box of yellow cardboard, printed in colours to show the maker's details and illustrations of a range of figures made by the company. The window is cellophane.

Object details

Object type
Parts
This object consists of 5 parts.

  • Puppet
  • Box
  • Box
  • Insert
  • Instructions Sheet
TitlePrince Charming (manufacturer's title)
Materials and techniques
Brief description
Boxed wooden marionette Pelham puppet, Prince Charming, made in England between 1963 and 1969
Physical description
Jointed marionette puppet of wood, metal, plaster and cloth with wood and metal control and multicoloured strings.
The puppet itself has a moulded head and dowel stick neck. It is painted pink with blue eyes highlighted with black and white, black stroke eyebrows and a closed mouth painted red. The hair is white nylon mohair which is long and held by a blue ribbon at the nape. The torso is made of two part, upper/chest and lower/hips. The legs and arms are each made of two pieces of dowel (arms painted pink and legs white); the legs are thicker than the arms. The hands are made of moulded pink plaster and the feet of rounded blocks of wood painted black. The head, body and arms are joined by steel eyelet screws, while the legs are jointed at the hips, knees and ankles by steel plates, nailed into each part. The strings are knotted to various parts of the body - two black ones to the head by steel eyelets painted pink on either side; two reds ones, to the hands; two blue ones just above the knees and a yellow one to the back of the body. The strings are tied to the wooden control, two bars of wood linked together by a large metal clip which will allow the bars to twist out to form a +. The red ones are tied to an eyelet covered with a red plastic dome, the blue ones to two eyelets covered with a blue plastic dome and the yellow likewise attached to an eyelet covered by a yellow plastic dome. At the top of the bars is a large black metal hook which can be used to hang the puppet up.
The puppet is dressed as a young man in red rayon jacket, pale blue rayon breeches, yellow cotton shirt front and white nylon net shirt frill.

Window box of yellow cardboard, printed in colours to show the maker's details and illustrations of a range of figures made by the company. The window is cellophane.
Production typemass produced
Copy number
SL
Marks and inscriptions
  • PELHAM PUPPETS (box parts)
  • 41/6, hand written price (white label on box end)
Credit line
Given by Nicola Gale
Object history
Belonged to Nicola Gale, born February 5, 1998, in Amersham, Bucks. The puppets and theatre were presents from her parents, Pamela and Frank Gale.
Production
Attribution note: These puppets were manufactered within a factory, however, they are classified as HAND MADE as each was individually made by hand.
Reason For Production: retail
Subject depicted
Collection
Accession number
B.102:1 to 4-1998

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Record createdApril 30, 1998
Record URL
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