Howdy Doody toy marionette
date: label: date made
content: 1947 - 1960
name: label: manufacturer
content: Peter Puppet Playthings, Inc.
label: previous owner
content: Rollins, Hazelle H.
label: maker
content: Peter Puppet Playthings, Inc.
notes: label: Description
content: This toy Howdy Doody puppet was made by Puppet Playthings, Inc. during the 1950s. Authentically costumed with sliding eyes, a moving mouth, and six-inch strings, Howdy Doody puppets became a popular children’s toy during the 1950s. From 1947 to 1960, The Howdy Doody Show was the leading children’s TV program in the United States. The creator of the Howdy Doody character, “Buffalo” Bob Smith, first performed him as a radio character. When the show transitioned to TV, Frank Paris created the new puppet, but left the show (with the puppet) in 1948 to disputes over merchandising rights. Velma Dawson created the now-ubiquitous Howdy Doody that debuted in 1949. This Howdy Doody became popular spokes character, hawking sponsored products on the show or in print. The show’s characters were also licensed and sold in a variety of products and toys.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States
label: Associated Place
content: United States: New York, New York
topic: label: Subject
content: Puppetry
label: Subject
content: Radio and television broadcasting
label: Subject
content: Television broadcasts
label: Subject
content: Children's television programs
label: Subject
content: Consumerism
label: general subject association
content: Television
label: Subject
content: Toys
setName: label: See more items in
content: Culture and the Arts: Entertainment
label: See more items in
content: Popular Entertainment
label: See more items in
content: American Enterprise
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: Sewer, Andy; Allison, David; Liebhold, Peter; Davis, Nancy; Franz, Kathleen G.. American Enterprise: A History of Business in America
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Anne W. and John W. Rollins, Jr.
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1980.0910.05
label: accession number
content: 1980.0910
label: catalog number
content: 1980.0910.05
objectType: label: Object Name
content: marionette
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: string (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: cardboard (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: ink (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 16 in x 5 3/4 in x 3 1/2 in; 40.64 cm x 14.605 cm x 8.89 cm