Punch and Judy in 19th Century America: A History and Biographical Dictionary

by Ryan Howard

Overview

The hand-puppet play starring the characters Punch and Judy was introduced from England and became extremely popular in the United States in the 1800s. This book details information on nearly 350 American Punch players. It explores the significance of the 19th-century American show as a reflection of the attitudes and conditions of its time and place. The century was a time of changing feelings about what it means to be human. There was an intensified awareness of the racial, cultural, social and economical diversity of the human species, and a corresponding concern for the experience of human oneness. The American Punch and Judy show was one of the manifestations of these conditions.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476601540
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	01/02/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	284
File size:	13 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Ryan Howard, professor of art emeritus at Morehead State University, is an art historian. He is the author of numerous articles and reviews on the puppet theater and lives in Morehead, Kentucky.
Ryan Howard, professor of art emeritus at Morehead State University, is an art historian. He is the author of numerous articles and reviews on the puppet theater and lives in Morehead, Kentucky.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Introduction
Part One. History
I. Punch’s History
II. The Punch and Judy Play
III. Piccini, Mathews, and Henry
IV. The American Punch and Judy Show
V. Childhood
VI. Punch and Judy in Outdoor Public Spaces
VII. Punch and Judy in the Museum and at the Circus
VIII. The American Punch and Judy and the World of Puppets
Part Two. Biographical Dictionary
Nineteenth-Century American Punch and Judy Players and Figure Makers
Appendices
A. New York Times, Interview with Mr. Buttercups
B. “Punch and Judy Shows: How the Lively Puppets Are Made to Do Their Work: Various Versions of the Miniature Tragedy in French, German, and English—Local Figures and Gags—The Cost of an Outfit,” New York Sun Interview with Harry Allen
C. Punch and Judy Performance Script by Thomas A.M. Ward
D. The Tragical Acts, or Comical Tragedies of Punch and Judy by W.J. Judd
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

Recommended”—Choice; “engaging...Howard does an excellent job of conjuring the sordid, freakish environments in which Punch often found refuge in his adopted country”—The Puppetry Journal.

From the Publisher

"engaging...Howard does an excellent job of conjuring the sordid, freakish environments in which Punch often found refuge in his adopted country"

The Puppetry Journal

Recommended

Choice