Elf Marionette

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Elf Marionette

Tatterman Marionette Company

1939

This marionette depicting an elf is made of wood, with a painted face, hands and legs, and wears a cotton knit stripe shirt with velvet pants and brown suede shoes. He operates with eight strings held on one bar. He retains his original clothing but he has been modified and repainted to use in a different production-a common practice with puppets.

In its original venue, this little elf was made by the Tatterman Marionette Co., who performed the play "Mrs Cinderella" at the General Electric Show at the 1939 New York World's Fair. Led by William Duncan and Ed Mabley, the Tatterman Company toured the country and performed thousands puppet shows to promote the wonders of electricity.

In the skit, Cinderella and her handsome prince are happily married but live in a drafty, old castle inhabited by little elves who do everything the difficult way-sans electricity! Cinderella's fairy god mother advises her to call General Electric who arrives with all kinds of new electrical appliances that make life so much easier

Currently not on view

Puppets

Tatterman Marionette Company

Worlds Fair

Puppetry

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Smithsonian Institution

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