Pelham Puppets were simple wooden marionette puppets made in England by Bob Pelham (1919–1980), starting in 1947. While mainly known for making marionettes, his company also manufactured glove puppets, rod puppets and ventriloquist puppets. The company ceased to trade in 1993 and some of its products became collectable.
History
Bob Pelham initially started the company as Wonky Toys Ltd on 20 May 1947. The name came from Bob's Second World War military nickname, when he was known as "The Wonky Donkey Officer" as he made small toy donkeys. The company originally started making "Waloukas", simple wooden toys held together with string. Bob then moved on to making marionettes to sell to children, a new direction as previously marionettes had only been made for professionals. On 14 October 1948 the company changed its name to Pelham Puppets to reflect the change in focus.
One of the keys to the success of the company was the creation of the Pelpup Club for children, which helped to advertise the company's products.
The factory was initially in Marlborough, Wiltshire. A fire in 1961 created a hiatus in manufacture and led to new ranges being introduced in 1963 and old lines being stopped. The factory was rebuilt and grew in size at the same location, until the site was sold and the factory moved in 1985 to Collingbourne Ducis, also in Wiltshire. It moved again to Gloucestershire in the early 1990s, but the company went into liquidation in 1993.
Bob Pelham continued to head the company and was assisted by his wife Ann. After Bob's death on 19 June 1980, she continued with the business until 1986. In 2008 the Pelham Puppets brand was revived by a former employee, David Leech, and he now produces a new line of puppets, some echoing former styles.
Pelham Puppets are collectible, and those in good condition can change hands for significant amounts of money. There are a number of websites devoted to collecting these puppets.
Products
Main models
There are many ranges of Pelham puppets. The main ones are: The LS range, 12-inch puppets with half wooden ball feet, wooden heads and waxed string holding the parts together. The SS range, similar to the LS range but with wooden toggle feet and screw eyes holding the body together. The SL range, usually with moulded heads and held together with either string or screw eyes. The SM range, with moving mouths, usually with larger wooden balls for heads but some have moulded heads. The JC (Junior Control) range, a smaller simpler puppet intended for younger children. The Jumpette range, smaller puppet again, much simpler and intended for infants and toddlers. The A, LA or Animal, usually non-anthropomorphic versions of animals. The LA code is used on earlier animals (1950s). The G range, glove puppets, usually with moulded heads and fabric or felt bodies. The Minipup, a range of smaller animal puppets. The WH range, the same size as JC puppets except these tended to have larger heads and were the first to have printed faces. The Vent range, a simple ventriloquist puppet, made from 1968 onwards.
Pelham Puppets also made puppets to order for the professional market, used by various companies in their shows. These tend to be larger, ranging from 18" to 2'6".
