  kermit love (august 7, 1916 &ndash; june 21, 2008) was an american puppeteer, costume designer, and actor in children's television and on broadway. he was best known as a designer and builder with the muppets, in particular those on sesame street. ==early life== love was born kermit ernest hollingshead love in spring lake, new jersey on august 7, 1916 and was raised by his grandmother and great-grandmother following the death of his mother when he was three years old.hevesi, dennis. "kermit love, costume creator, dies at 91", the new york times, june 24, 2008. accessed july 14, 2011. "despite his assumed english (and sometimes french) accent, kermit ernest hollingshead love was born in spring lake, n.j., on aug. 7, 1916. his father, ernest love, was a decorative plasterer. his mother, alice, died when he was 3, and he was raised by a grandmother and a great-grandmother." ==early theatrical career== love began his theatrical career at a young age, working as a marionette maker and costume designer for broadway and other stage productions as early as the 1930s, even appearing on stage in a bit part as a student for the 1937 play naught naught 00. love worked with many of the great figures of mid-century broadway and american ballet. he was the costumer for the agnes de mille ballet rodeo (1942), for the kurt weill musical one touch of venus (1943), and for merce cunningham's the wind remains (1943) and jerome robbins's ballet fancy free (1944). for george balanchine he designed, amongst other items, a twenty-eight foot marionette giant for don quixote (1965). ===creating big bird and others=== during the early 1960s, love first crossed paths with jim henson through don sahlin, who urged him to meet with henson. the three first collaborated on the lachoy dragon. love's theatrical background had given him particular skill at handling full body-puppets and tailoring them to allow freedom for the performer's movements. from this, love went on to build big bird a
1916_births 2008_deaths Ballet_designers Cardiovascular_disease_deaths_in_New_York Gay_actors LGBT_entertainers_from_the_United_States Muppet_designers People_from_Spring_Lake,_New_Jersey People_from_Stanford,_New_York