The Swedish Chef puppet
date: label: date made
content: 1980s
name: label: performer
content: Henson, Jim
label: performer
content: Oz, Frank
label: performer
content: Barretta, Bill
label: maker
content: Henson, Jim
label: designer
content: Frith, Michael
label: builder
content: Erickson, Bonnie
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: The Swedish Chef is one of the best-loved Muppet characters, appearing in numerous film and television productions since his debut in 1975. The Swedish Chef speaks in a mock Swedish language which parodies the characteristic sounds of Scandinavian languages and occasionally includes an English word to help the viewer understand what he is attempting to do on screen. The Swedish Chef first appeared in <i>The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence</i> which aired on ABC in 1975 and was one of two pilot episodes for <i>The Muppet Show</i>, where the Swedish Chef was a regular. Swedish Chef puppets like this one require two performers to operate. One person (originally Jim Henson) operates the head and performs the Chef's voice while another (originally Frank Oz) operates the two arms, with the performer's hands visible rather than inside puppet felt gloves as with other live hand puppets. This Swedish Chef puppet came to the museum with felt hands, suggesting that it may have been used for display or photography.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: Subject
content: Muppet Show
label: Subject
content: Television broadcasts
label: Subject
content: Television
label: Subject
content: Puppetry
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: 2013.0101.15
label: accession number
content: 2013.0101
label: catalog number
content: 2013.0101.15
objectType: label: Object Name
content: puppet
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: fabric (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: synthetic fibers (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 26 1/2 in x 16 1/2 in x 16 in; 67.31 cm x 41.91 cm x 40.64 cm