From: "Alan Cook" <alangregorycook-AT-msn.com>
To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
Date: Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:17:22 GMT
Subject: [Puptcrit] Punch and Judy heads


Germany shipped wooden Punch sets all over the world during the 1860s-1920s. Periodically, old German-made figures appear on e-bay. Hard to date them without an old sales slip to a particular year since the carvers could easily work for 50 years. But the 1930s puppets had a different paint so they looked a bit different.

 Anyway, they came in various sizes: the larger were suitable for professional work and often were used by working Punchmen, not all of whom carved their own figures. Other Punchmen purchased or inherited sets from older performers who retired or died.

Many smaller Punch sets from Germany were carved of wood---often with cruder (faster) carving to keep the price lower, but I have a small set from the 1920s of composition which was made for children and once belonged to a college friend (a bit older than I am).

Since Germany was once toymaker to the world, the Punch sets were shipped all over---to Canada & the USA, to France, England, etc., etc.

The hat on the policeman would vary, depending on to where it was shipped---so it could resemble an English Bobby, a French Gendarme and so on (smart marketing). BUT some tourists might buy a set in France and and take it home to England or North America, so the varied cop hats might end up in many dfferent countries.

In 1965 in a museum in London (which should have known better) a set of an old German hand puppet Punch cast was described as being English, perhaps because the cop was an English-looking cop thanks to an English hat.

In 1965, the Pulcinella hand puppets I purchased from a puppeteer who regularly performed in a park in Rome was not carved by the puppeteer---he purchased his puppets from a carver he knew---when  his cast showed excessive wear, he'd buy a new set and give the old puppets to kids near his residence.

In the 1940s in Chicago, George "Pinxy" Larsen had a vigorous side line carving Punch puppets for others, in addition to performing Punch shows himself (he had worked circus side shows where he doubled as a tattooed man). A number of puppeteers in Puppeteers of America had Pinxy puppets---Jay Marshall and Lemuel Williams for two examples.

Pinxy used wood, but did have more than one price range---the more expensive were bigger heads, better painted by hand. Some cheaper models mght be partly spray-painted heads. Jay Marshall lent his larger Pinxy Punch to the 1980-1983 touring puppet exhibit, PUPPETS: Art & Entertainment (illustrated in the exhibit catalog). Lem Williams had a similar larger Punch by Pinxy which even had an animated mouth. It is in our International Puppetry Museum collection in Pasadena CA .

Some of Pinxy's Punch Cast characters might vary in look more than other characters ---for instance there was considerable variety in his devils---most of which were red. The fanciest devil of Pinxy's that I have seen has elaborate wide and flapping wings. It has been in my collection for decades.

Pinxy's "Pretty Polly" figures could also vary a lot. It kept his carving work more interesting for him.

The most unexpected Pinxy puppet I have is a "Popeye" which was just exhibited at the 2009 National Puppetry Festival Exhibit in Atlanta, curated by Phillip Huber.

Pinxy also painted side show and circus banners. I think some may survive in private collections. 

In the 1930s, you could order Punch sets from ads which came with Paul McPharlin's "PUPPETRY" International Yearbooks. They were carved by a well-known vent dummy maker. I wish I had an example. But at least I have a copy of the Yearbook.

Check out Paul McPharlin's PUPPET THEATRE IN AMERICA ---he devotes attention to Punch in America---mentioning that English Punch men could make more money in the 1880s working at Coney Island than back in England.

When I was at South Pasadena High School in the 1940s, a retired Anglican clergyman performed Punch & Judy under sponsorship of our drama club, after school hours, in the audio-visual room. I hope I still have the small newsprint flyer. He used a swazzle in the traditional manner for Punch's voice.

After performance, there was a brief question period. Students asked the standard question about how Punch's voice was done.The Reverend held up the tiny swazzle, described how it was constructed of two shaped metal pieces and a cloth strip, how traditionally you were not considered a true Punchman until you had swallowed it a few times  (and might have to wait awhile before retrieving it). Then he prepared to demonstrate the use of the swazzle in front of his Punch booth---first removing a set of false teeth---which elicited a communal "Eeeewwww" from the students. Well, that's Showbiz.

The Reverend's puppets were old ones carved in Czechoslovakia. The Reverend liived in a small trailer park in Pasadena on Foothill Blvd near Rosemead Blvd. I think there may still have been a local dairy nearby when I paid him a visit. 

The cows and the trailers are long gone, and I often wonder what happend to his cast of wooden puppets which he obviously loved and valued so highly.


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