Vintage puppets are full of possibilities. (Okay, they don’t have to be vintage, but we like those best.) From a simple drawing glued to a popsicle stick to elaborate marionettes, they all have the ability to tell stories that bring out the imagination of the audience and the creativity of the puppeteer. One of my favorite childhood memories is the puppet stage in my neighbor’s rumpus room. What lucky ducks those kids were to have their own stage and a basket of vintage puppets of all sorts. But, one of the beauties of puppetry is that you don’t need anything more than crayons, paper and a shoe box to make your own puppet theater and cast of characters.
1950s-1960s Steiff Rabbit Hand Puppet
Why this is awesome: Once you’ve seen a few Steiff plush animals, you can pick them in a snap. The charming faces and the quality of the details and manufacture make them highly collectible. What makes this guy even better is that he comes from the OnceUponAPuppetShop on Etsy, a curated collection of puppets well worth a few minutes of your time to enjoy.
What puppet theatrical would I stage with him: The Velveteen Rabbit, of course.
Shadow Play Puppeteer Finger Puppet Set
Why this is awesome: Finger puppets are simple but magical. You don’t need to hide behind a stage. With a finger puppet on your hand and a funny voice, you can absolutely hold an audience.
How I would use this: Nightly story time. Sometimes a story from a tiny friend is more fun than from an adult. Of course, I would have to borrow children since mine are adults.
1970s Pelham Poodle Marionette
Why this is awesome: Marionettes are fascinating. The Lonely Goatherd scene from The Sound of Music is enough to convince any of us that puppets strings don’t hold them down, they lift them up. This delightful poodle comes from another Etsy puppet shop, PuppetIra. It’s a winning collab–Vintage poodle X Vintage puppet.
How I would use this: To take the baby steps toward learning to manipulate a marionette. I assume this takes many cups of tea to relax and many YouTube videos.
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2 comments
All your finds this week are wonderful, Laurie, but the face on that rabbit is absolutely adorable.
That steiff rabbit looks just like Bunny Rabbit on Captain Kangaroo. I loved that show! Firstly Bunny Rabbit wore glasses and never spoke at all..perhaps a whisper? This show did story time using the book and only deft camera action to suggest a certain person was speaking or to zoom in or out. I distinctly remember Stone Soup by Marcia Brown. Thanks for the memories…