Coffin from a 'Punch and Judy' puppet set

Datec 1887

Object number00006916

NamePuppet Coffin

MediumWood

DimensionsOverall: 74 x 292 x 136 mm

ClassificationsToys, games and souvenirs

Credit LineANMM Collection

Terms

DescriptionA small wooden coffin from a 'Punch and Judy' puppet set from the late 19th century. The coffin is made of packing case wood and covered with black cotton cloth with white lace is sewn around edges of all sides. The inside of the coffin has the packing case labels 'Pears transparent soap [Refr]eshing and agreeable balm for the skin" Journal of Cutaneous Medicine'. On the side of the coffin is written 'H.R.H. The Prince of Wales'. This set is British in origin and is believed to date from approximately 1887 when it was part of a Christmas gift to a young girl.HistoryThe spectacle of a Punch and Judy puppet show, along with a cast of familiar supporting characters, has been a familiar sight in Britain for centuries. The show first made an appearance at the seaside in Britain in the 1860's and grew to become a staple entertainment for beach goers across the globe. One of the appeals of the Punch and Judy show is that while the main characters and their distinctive personalities remain, the story lines can change and new characters added. This keeps the look and feel of the traditional show the same but makes its content more relevant to modern audiences. SignificancePunch and Judy shows, along with donkey rides and merry-go-rounds are representative of the British seaside experience in the late 19th and early 20th centuries where the focus was the entertainment on the seashore not the surf itself. The shows were conducted by a single puppeteer on the beach or in nearby beachside venues. The British practice was exported to Australia, Punch and Judy shows have been documented at Bondi, Manly, Coogee, Tamarama and particularly at St Kilda.