Pelham Puppets

Pelham Puppets are a very popular manufacturer of marionettes. They produced a range of marionettes, but the business is no longer operating. The puppets are not just popular for their use, but are actually very collectible, and some people do collect them for pleasure and money. It’s mainly because the puppets are nostalgic, and are more for decoration than for using in shows. Collectors particularly seek the marionettes with their original box, tags, and operating instructions: full sets are more valuable.

I get a lot of questions about Pelham puppets, both from puppeteers and from collectors. The thing is, I don’t know anything about the company or their products: I’m a puppet maker, and am not personally interested in these marionettes. (No, I don’t sell them or make them)

However, I thought it would be good to add a blog post about them, to save some legwork later. If people read this post, then I won’t have to keep answering the questions: plus it does give me an opportunity to learn more about these popular puppets.

So here’s some info about the puppets and the company:

The official Pelham Puppets website, where you can read more about the marionettes, buy them, and find out about restoration and history
The Pelham Puppets ~~own~~ fan website, has a range of information and useful forums. UPDATE: I have been informed that the website is in fact a fan website. My apologies to my readers for the misinformation.
Here’s a great intro by World Collector.net
This site has an excellent list of the types of marionettes mades by Pelham, a list of characters, and some info on current prices
Puppet Surgery.com is another excellent resource on Pelham Puppets, including restoration and the issue of collecting them

Here’s some info on how to buy or collect the puppets:

Check out online collectible stores, auction houses, or other local collectible dealers, since many of these seem to be able to find and are selling, Pelham Puppets regularly
eBay has a good intro to buying Pelham Puppets

Here’s some info on repairing or restoring them:

The Pelham Puppets forums has a good thread on how to restring the marionettes
Contact your local puppet maker or puppet restorer, who might be able to help you in restoring your puppet without damaging the value of your marionette. For people near you, find your country’s branch of UNIMA, the puppetry organisation, and ask for some contacts. UNIMA branches can be found through the UNIMA Int. website
Here’s a Californian company who specialises in Pelham puppet repairs
Additionally, see my post on repairing puppets [link to be added]

Other places to visit

More information about Pelham Puppets can be found:

David Leech’s Traditional Puppets website. UPDATE: David has a new book for sale. Read about it here. (David Leech also runs the official website, linked above)
UK Yahoo! groups has a Pelham Puppet forum with some active members and discussions, and one more, one for restoration, and here’s a new group
Amazon has some good books on offer on the subject of collecting puppets and on Pelham Puppets:

by Daniel E. Hodges and