Rowlf the Dog puppet
date: label: date made
content: 1960s
name: label: performer
content: Henson, Jim
label: referenced
content: IBM
label: maker
content: Henson, Jim
label: builder
content: Sahlin, Don
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: <p>This Rowlf puppet is one of the earliest made to perform this Muppet character, a genial, cool, and musically gifted dog. Rowlf became the first nationally-known Muppet star when he joined Jimmy Dean as a wisecracking sidekick on the popular country singer's comedy and variety show, <i>The Jimmy Dean Show</i>, from 1963-1966. Since then, Rowlf has been a featured member of the cast of <i>The Muppet Show</i>, Muppet movies, and other Muppet productions.</p>
label: Description (Brief)
content: <p>Rowlf was first designed by Jim Henson and built by Don Sahlin for Purina Dog Chow commercials in the early 1960s. Rowlf was also used as a 'spokesdog' in films made for IBM in the 1960s. Henson made a meeting film discussing the IBM Model D called "Rowlf 100% Club - IBM Confidential" in 1967.</p>
label: Description (Brief)
content: <p>This Rowlf is a live-hand puppet made of brown synthetic fur with a black plastic nose. In a live-hand puppet like Rowlf one of the performer’s hands is in the puppet’s head while the other is in one of the puppet’s arms, which has gloves for hands. Another puppeteer is usually needed to operate the other arm, which is known as right-handing.</p>
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: Subject
content: Television
label: Subject
content: Puppetry
label: Subject
content: Muppet Show
setName: label: See more items in
content: Culture and the Arts: Entertainment
label: See more items in
content: Jim Henson
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of the Family of Jim Henson: Lisa Henson, Cheryl Henson, Brian Henson, John Henson and Heather Henson
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2013.0101.04
label: accession number
content: 2013.0101
label: catalog number
content: 2013.0101.04
objectType: label: Object Name
content: puppet
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: synthetic fibers (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: foam (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 24 in x 19 in; 60.96 cm x 48.26 cm