hand puppets, Uncle Chichimus and Hollyhock
Report a Mistake- Date Made 1954
- Event --
- Affiliation English Canadian (culture)
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Artist / Maker / Manufacturer
Conway, Mr. John Edwin
Mess, Suzanne - Object Number V-2177928
- Place of Origin Continent - North America, Country - Canada, Province / Territory - Ontario, Municipality - Toronto, Township / District - York, County of
- Place of Use Continent - North America, Country - Canada
- Category Recreational artifacts
- Sub-category Public entertainment device
- Department Folklore
- Museum CMH
- Earliest 1954/01/19
- Latest 1954/02/28
- Related activity Puppetry
- Caption Characters from television productions
- Additional Information Let's see / Uncle Chichimus CBLT, 7:15hr-7:30hr pm, Mon-Sat, 1952-1954; Adventures of Chich (film series), 1958-1959; Cartoonerville CJOH TV, 1961-1966. These puppets were replacements for the Chichimus and Hollyhock puppets stolen from John Conway's car in 1954.
- Caption Puppets on the Small Screen
- Additional Information For puppetry, television provided a new setting and a new way of reaching an audience. Today, first contact with puppets is often through children's television programmes. Entertaining programmes often include an educational component. A friendly, engaging character might help us learn to spell, or might make us laugh while, at the same time, prompting us to think about something serious. Excerpt from exhibition text: Strings, Springs and Finger Things: A New Puppet Collection at the Museum, May 1996 to August 1998
- Caption Hand Puppet
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Additional Information
(Alternate name: Glove Puppet)
Category of puppet manipulated from below. Hand puppets generally consist of a hollow head and a fabric costume attached at the base of the neck. This type of puppet is controlled by a hand placed inside the costume: one or two fingers are fed into the neck; the others are placed in each of the arms, providing direct control of the puppet's movements. The head and hands of a hand puppet can be made of materials that are either solid (wood, plastic wood, papier mâché) or pliable (fabric, foam rubber, latex). Hand puppets usually have no legs; when they do have legs, these hang limply without being controlled.
Definition inspired by the Kenneth B. McKay book, Puppetry in Canada: An Art to Enchant, published by the Ontario Puppetry Association. Copyright 1980
Hand and Rod Puppet
Type of puppet which combines both hand and rod techniques. A hand placed inside the head of the puppet controls its movements, while the other hand controls the two rods attached to the puppet's arms. In some variations, two puppeteers share manipulation. The term "hand and rod puppet" can also be used to describe a hand puppet whose head is controlled by a short rod concealed inside the costume.
Definition inspired by the Kenneth B. McKay book, Puppetry in Canada: An Art to Enchant, published by the Ontario Puppetry Association. Copyright 1980
- Caption John Conway
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Additional Information
John Edwin Conway became interested in puppetry as a child. His hobby developed into a profession and, in the early 1940s, he worked with Muriel Heddle's Royal Canadian Puppet Ballet. After the war, he established the York Puppet Theatre (1948-1952) and toured Western Canada with several productions. In 1952, Conway introduced his puppets Uncle Chichimus and Hollyhock during the inaugural broadcast of the CBC's English television network. Costumes for these puppets were created by Suzanne Mess, who became a celebrated designer of costumes for theatre and television. She later worked for the National Ballet of Canada, the Canadian Opera Company and the Stratford Festival. Enjoyed by adults and children alike, Uncle Chichimus and Hollyhock became cultural icons during the 1950s, and unofficial mascots of the CBC. The puppets appeared in numerous programs, including Let's See (1952-1953), Uncle Chichimus (1953-1954) and Adventures of Chich (1958-1961). They later appeared on Ottawa's CJOH/CTV station in Cartoonerville (1961-1966). Conway and director Norman Campbell were among the first to develop innovative techniques in the staging and performance of puppets for television. In 2002, Conway was awarded a commemorative medal for his pioneering work in television during Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee.
Adapted from Figuratively Speaking: Puppetry in Ontario by Ken McKay, copyright 1990. Courtesy of the Ontario Puppetry Association and Ken McKay.