Stick puppet, by William Simmonds

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Date:1920

Description:William Simmonds (1876-1968) trained initially as an architect. He then studied at the Royal College of Art under Walter Crane, and at the Royal Academy schools, exhibiting at the Academy from 1903. During World War I he worked on tank and aircraft design.

In 1919 he settled in Gloucestershire, at Far Oakridge near Stroud. It was here he performed his first puppet shows for a children's party. He was involved with the Arts & Crafts movement and was an active member of the Guild of Gloucestershire Craftsmen.

William Simmonds work included carvings in ivory, wood and stone, sculptures and pottery as well as book designs, paintings and drawings. He also made marionettes and performed puppet shows. During the 1920s and 1930s he and his wife Eve held professional puppet shows, including a regular slot at the Grafton Theatre in London.

This marionette forms part of the Hayward Puppet Collection, now part of the Staffordshire County Museum collection.


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1850s
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1870s
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1900s
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1920s
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1930s
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1960s
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1980s
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2010s
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Donor ref:2007.022.0333 (37/27158)

Source: Staffordshire Museum Service

Copyright information: Copyrights to all resources are retained by the individual rights holders. They have kindly made their collections available for non-commercial private study & educational use. Re-distribution of resources in any form is only permitted subject to strict adherence to the usage guidelines.