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British Puppet and Model Theatre Guild Archive



BOX No.1.

This box contains useful reference material concerning the history of the Guild, including copies of magazines and journals which provide anyone interested in researching into the art of puppetry with practical and worthwhile information.


1.1.        Puppet Master, 1946-1987 (complete).
1.2. Notes and News, Series 1. 1926/1927, 1-8 (bound)
  Series 2. 1928, 1-3
  Vol. 1. 1936, 1-8
  Vol.2. 1937, 3-10
  Vol.3. 1938, 1-7
  Vol.4. 1939, 1-5


1.3.        "War Time Bulletin", Nos. 1-17. (Nos.1, 3, 4 & 16 are photocopies)


1.4.        "The Young Puppeteer", 1941-1944. (Nos. 1-10, except No.9)
(For boys and girls up to the age of sixteen).


1.5.        "The Puppet Post", 1946-1980, (incomplete) (Formed by the Educational Puppetry Association)


1.6.        "British Puppet Theatre", (only seven copies ranging between 1949-1952)


1.7.        "Weekend Schools", 1958-1993. Collections of material from eighteen events


1.8.        Folder of miscellaneous items relating to Guild events, including a book of signatures from 1940's of members and visitors to the Guild's London Group.


1.9.        Small collection of newspaper cuttings relating to puppetry in T.V. and films.


1.10.        Collection of material covering Guild Regional Meetings in the Midlands area.


BOX No.2.

This box contains material from Guild Exhibitions and Festivals, some of which dates back to the 1920's. It is very useful for anyone who is interested in the early years of the Guild. The posters are particularly attractive but unfortunately many of the photographs which are in the box are unmarked and the people in them are not named.

2.1.        Festivals of puppetry in the United Kingdom, from 1955 - 1995. This box includes small posters, programmes, newspaper cuttings and related printed items.

2.2.        A small number of programmes from Festivals in the United Kingdom from
1996.

2.3.        Programmes from Guild Exhibitions from 1925 - 1971. An incomplete collection of programmes together with some small posters and articles.

2.4        Photographs of Exhibitions from' 1926 onwards. An interesting collection of photos of people and puppets at early Guild Exhibitions.

2.5.        Four group photographs taken at early meetings. (No names).

2.6.        A collection of posters advertising Guild Exhibitions, from 1920's onwards.

2.7 A collection of small posters advertising Guild Exhibitions, from 1920's onwards

2.8.        A scrapbook of newspaper cuttings and related printed items of the Harrogate Puppet Festival and Exhibition in May, 1970.


BOX No.3.

This box contains a small collection of material relating to the life and career of Lester Bidston, (The Peregrine Puppets), but it is mainly a fascinating collection of original material displaying the work of H.W. Whanslaw and includes items which will hold the attention of anyone interested in puppetry.

3.1.        Peregrine Puppets. A collection of material relating to Lester and Edna Bidston, creators of Peregrine Puppets. Includes a diary of their performances beginning in 1959, letters, photographs, scripts and some newspaper cuttings. (All of Lester Bidston's stages and puppets are now in the Hayward- Collection which is kept at Shugborough, near Stafford).
3.2.        H.W. Whanslaw; A collection of items relating to "Shadow Theatre", including cuttings,- articles, sketches and interesting examples of paper-cut figures. Also includes a cardboard cut out of a wolf used in the puppet film, "The Snow Fairy", signed by Whanslaw on the reverse side of the figure, and a second figure which was used in the puppet film, "The Captive Maid".
3.3.        Scrapbook containing several original sketches and watercolour designs, mainly for puppet costumes and details of body joints. Dated 1936-1937.
3.4.        Scrapbook of original sketches of marionette stages, marionettes and lighting ideas, including original sketches for the book "Everybody's Theatre", published in 1948. The hand written title of the scrapbook is "Details & Tricks in Puppet & Stage Making.
3.5.        Scrapbook of drawings mainly of marionette designs and theatre construction. Includes some fascinating details of ordinary theatrical equipment, such as stage weights and scenery braces and also some extraordinary subjects, one of which as a moving waterfall effect.
3.6.        Scrapbook of original designs, including character marionettes, scenery, stage props. etc. Also includes information to assist in construction of marionette joints and controls.
3.7.        Folder of scripts for T.V and radio shows, including a script for a talk on "The Toy Theatre", given by Whanslaw on "Children's Hour" for the BBC in 1938. Also a script for a TV show in 1951 which featured "Soko's first comeback on television", and scripts for performances of "Timothy Telescope", one of which has been autographed by those involved in the show - including Whanslaw and the presenter of the show, Valerie Hobson.
3.8. Collection of drawings and sketches for marionettes and shadow characters for various productions, including "The Prodigal Son", to be performed as a shadow play, and figures for the Electricity Council to be used in 1936 at The Olympia. Also a few newspaper and magazine articles written by Whanslaw. Included in this collection is Whanslaw's signature block, which is used to stamp reproductions of his autograph.
3.9. Collection of photographs and negatives of various shows and- productions, including some religious plays; and - characters from the TV show, "Timothy Telescope
3.10. A copy of "Ship Ahoy", published in 1951, a children's book based on the TV show "Timothy Telescope", illustrated by Whanslaw. The book contains- a hand-written message from the writer of- the stories, Jill Allgood, who sent it as a Christmas present in 1951 "To Cecil Madden - who inspired "Telescope"…"


Box No.4.

This box contains miscellaneous items which form an interesting collection of mainly unconnected examples of props, puppet parts and artifacts. Because of the nature of the contents of this box and the difficulty in accurate written descriptions, I have taken photographs of the more unusual items, which are now available to anyone who is interested.

  1. 1.Small collection of Shadow Puppets, generally about 6" tall, most interesting item is an articulated male figure marked, H. Reidelbach.
  2. pic2.Wooden clock, 13" tall, mounted to wall. The clock transforms into an animated figure with appearance of arms and legs from marionette control, (not connected). Smiling clock face, movable clock hands, plus doors for appearance of cuckoo, (missing).
  3. 3.Rod puppet, 20", papier mache, moving mouth, wearing butler's costume, considered to be the work of H.W. Whanslaw.
  4. 4.Rod puppet head, bandage and plaster, string through head which pu1ls a flute-type musical instrument to mouth. Also considered to be the work of Whanslaw.
  5. 5. 12" Indian Fakir marionette, legs in rigid squatting position. Almost certainly "Mango Chutney", (a character made by Whanslaw for "The London Marionette Theatre", circa 1926). Control missing.
  6. 6.12" Snake marionette, (for use with above?).
    1. 7.Tin. Footlight, two candle power, Rozella Marionettes, (late l9th.Centuiy). From the Whanslaw Collection).
      Carved puppet with top hatPuppet head, figure draws flute to mouthSnake charmer puppetCarved head of old woman
4.8 Two felt pill-box hats (3" x 3.5"dia.)
  1. 9. 4" carved head for glove puppet, old woman character, German.
  2. 10. 8" carved marionette head, includes top hat Wood and leather.
  3. 11.Piano-accordion, (3" x 5" x 3").
  4. 12.Wooden table, (131/2" x 5" x 7"), painted red
  5. 13.Wooden bench seat, (12" x 2½" x 5"), painted white.
  6. 14.Wooden garden bench, (12" x 3" x 6"), painted brown.
  7. 15.Wooden rocking horse, (6" x 5").
  8. 16."Timothy Telescope", glove puppet made by Whanslaw. (On Archive display).
  9. 17. 18" Disjointing Clown marionette. (On Archive Display).
  10. 18. Box containing two tables and two chairs, various styles and~ales, plus a 3" cast metal ornamental clock.
  11. 19."Soko"; 18" marionette, made by Whanslaw. (First puppet specifically made for television, Baird, 1930).



BOX No. 5.
This small box contains material relating to Waldo and Muriel Lanchester and the Lanchester Marionettes. The collection reveals the many and varied artistic talents of the couple during their long careers. The Lanchester material is probably the most impressive collection within the present Guild Archive, and there is more to be revealed in later boxes.

Lanchester header
  1. Four large publicity photographs of Lanchester figures. Watercolour (possibly by Waldo's aunt, Mary Lanchester). Blueprint of wiring diagram for early switchboard. Three colour lithos of Lanchester acts. Five large publicity photos includjng Waldo and Muriel with marionettes. Magazine article about soldier-artist, Rex Whistler ('94).
  2. 2.Collection of 39 Lanchester posters covering 1940's - 1960's. (Reference list available).
  3. 3"Marionette Master Class", Video tape, VHS format. Filmed by Douglas Fisher in the 40's and 80's and re-edited with a full sound-track in 1985.
  4. 4."Marionette Master Class~, Video tape, as above, Betamax format. (
  5. Framed watercolour, (appro~ 9" x 5"), a farm view by Waldo.
5.6. Framed watercolour, (appro~ 9" x 5"), a canal view by Waldo to match above.
5.7 Handwritten record of performances and relevant details. 1940 - 1948.
5.8         17 assorted postcards depicting Lanchester figures.
5.9.        "Travelling Players", a book by Eleanor EIder, published in 1939.
  1. 10.Box of assorted photographs covering the career of the Lanchester Marionettes.
  2. 11.Qbituaries following the death of Muriel Lanchester, (1901 - 1992)
  3. 12.Collection of five foreign puppetry magaaines containing Lanchester articles.
  4. 13.File 1. Copy of a lecture given by Waldo in 1967 to the Royal Society of Arts. Copy of "Shakes versus Shav", a puppet play by Bernard Shaw, with a separate preface which has been signed by Shaw annd dated 1949. Booklet entitled "Lanchester Marionettes" (1951/52). Three etchings by Ella D. Virell, dated 1936 sent to Muriel with an accompanying letter, plus another dated 1937. Lino-cut of a moonlit silhouette scene by Waldo when he was 14 years old.
    Waldo Lanchester
  5. 14.File 2. Obituaries following the death of Waldo in 1978. Collection of letters and memorabilia, including photographs and cuttings. Cut-out model book of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, drawn and devised by Waldo.
  6. 15.File 3. Collection of prints taken from blocks. The original blocks are now in the Hayward Collection at Shugborough in Staffordshire.
  7. 16.File 4. Letters and material relating to the video recording of "Waldo and Muriel Lanchester's Marionette Master Class'.
  8. 17.File 5. Letters and material relating to the article "The Legendary Lanchesters", written by Douglas Hayward as a retrospective tribute, and published in Animations magazine in the April/May 1985 issue.
  9. 18.File 6. Collection of posters, programmes and brochures covering all aspects of the Lanchester's long career in puppetry.
  10. 19.Collection of diaries of performances, plus personal items including driving licences, ration books, identity cards and Waldos ENSA badge.


BOX No.6.
This small box contains three separate collections of very useful reference material.
1.        Animations magazines. 2. Two scrapbooks compiled by John Carr. 3. A collection of material relating to the life and work of Harry Tozer.
  6.1. Animations magazines   (Christmas 1977 - April/May 1980).
  6.2. " (June/July 1980 - Oct/Nov 1982)
  6.3. " (Dec. 1982/Jan. 1983 - June/July 1985)
  6.4. " (Aug/Sep 1985 - Oct/Nov 1987)
  6.5. " (Dec 1987/Jan 1988 - Dec 1989/Jan 1990)
  6.6. " (Feb/March 1990 - Aug/Sep 1992)
  6.7. " (Oct/Nov 1992 - Aug/Sep 1996)
        Tozer drawing 6.8. John Carr's Album No.1. - Various Puppeteers. A scrapbook of newspaper and
magazine cuttings and articles, cards, business cards, programmes, brochures, small posters, and some photographs., collected by 'John Carr.
6.9. John Carr's Album No. 2. - Scrapbook 1960-1969. Another scrapbook containing material collected by John Carr.
6.l0. H.V. Tozer. Folder No.1. Containing excellent quality production photographs, mainly' in"' c~our, A4 size, of puppets made by Tozer between 1928 - 1957, including Punch"; C;irc~s acts, and "Jack and the Beanstalk".
6.11. H V Tozer. Folder No.2. Containing more production photographs of puppets made by Tozer, including "Robot Revolt", (l952)~ "The Green Idol", (1954), and "Montmartre Cemetery", (1 973/4).
6.12. H.V. Tozer. Folder No.3. Containing more production photographs for production of "New York and a collection of photographs of studies of marionette heads in close-up, including characters from many of the productions listed above.
6.13 H.V.Tozer Storage Folder containing collections of material relating to the life and work of Tozer, including cuttings, and photographs. "The Curious Origin of The Porto Petro Model Train article, collection of photos used in .Guild displays. a large photo of the Marionetas' de Barcelona company. a Register of Performances of the company, a register of the company's marionettes and a collection of stringing diagrams with explanations.

Box No. 7.
This box contains a large amount of interesting reference material associated with a varied.. cross-section of puppetry and puppeteers from the 1920's onwards. The puppeteers of the UK are well represented, but this collection is particularly interesting because of the many item's connected with puppetry traditions in other countries.
7.1 Box Folder of material relating to the London Marionette Theatre, including original and carbon. copy of H.W.Whanslaw's history of the LMT company, original typed copy and photo-copy of revised version of the above history., a brown paper folder, containing original drawings and blueprints of puppet and puppetry designs for ,LM.T publications, a pink folder containing photos and early L.M.T. material for scenery and TV productions, magazine inc article from 1930 and a diorama designed circa '1925. Six mounted photographs (8fl x" 6") of LM.T. productions of 1920's, two early negatives of small puppets being operated by Whanslaw and Lanchester for use on the first TV show. Small scrapbook of 1930. UNIMA Congress held in Liege, containing posters, cuttings, postcards and original drawings.
7.2 Box folder of photographs of puppets .and puppetry of the U.K. including press photos, amateur puppets, various exhibition photographs. (1920's onwards) and numerous examples of UK puppets which are not named.
7.3..        Five large (15" x 12") mounted photographs of Bulgarian rod puppets of 1957/8.
7.4.        A large scrapbook compiled by John Carr during the 1950's of a "Puppet Tour of Europe"; including photos, programmes,. postcards, cuttings reviews and miscellaneous souvenirs relating to the tour in April 1954.
7'S. A collection of overseas photographs, including a. selection of mounted photos of scenes £rom films by Jiri Trnka, examples. of puppets from Burma, Java, Switzerland, France, Italy, China, Poland, Russia, and the USA.
7.6.        Folder of material relating to Cecil Madden, consisting mainly of personal letters from TV celebrities, drafts for formal speeches and suggestions to promote puppetry on TV.
7.7. Folder of material relating to Walter Wilkinson, including a scrapbook of drawings and sketches, several photographs, a collection of magazines of the 1920's containing his stories for. ch.iidren, a collection of printed plays and illustrations {including Here's Old Punch and The Jumping Bundles), and a self-portrait on wood of Wilkinson, aged thirteen.
Here's Good Old Punch

7.8.        A. grey, storage folder containing a collection of material relating to German puppetry, including photographs, postcards, programmes, magazines, leaflets etc. of puppeteers and companies such as Harro Siegel, Gerhards Marionetten, Hohnsteiner, Papa Schmidt, Deininger, Steinauer Marionettentheater, Albrecht Roser, Paul Brann, Pawos Puppenbuhne etc..
  1. 9.A Directory of Professional Puppeteers, (UK) for 1976, 77, 79 & 90/91
7.10. UNIMA Infomiations, 1929, 1973-1988 (includes Tom Howard article in 1975)
7.11.        British UNIMA ,Bulletin, issues Nos. 20 - 90," (Oct.1972 - Nov.1995).