Does anyone have any information on pedal marionettes.? I saw this once in an old issue of The Puppetry Journal and would like to try it again ( I loaned that issue to someone-learned a valuable lesson there.) Thank you-Steve

I'm not sure what you are referring to.  Do you mean a marionette that rides a bike or something else.

This is the only thing I could find on Pedal Marionettes. Make sure you look at the slide show
http://www.geocities.com/rodeodrive/7266/

Another type of marionette which saw brief use during the 1880's was the 'pedal puppet'. These marionettes were used in formal theatrical productions. Pedal Puppets were mounted on bases and movement about the stage was accomplished by shuttling the base below stage level on a series of grooves or tracks. Each marionette character's movement and expressions were controlled by a series of strings running through the puppet connecting to pedals or levers and manipulated by individuals below the stage. A separate person supplied the vocalizations of the puppet. Until the late nineteenth century marionettes were not readily available to the public. In the late 1800�s marionette toys were available in very limited numbers. These marionettes were made by hand and were primarily made and sold in the same town or geographical area. It was not until the 1920�s that the first commercially made marionette toys were available in the United States. These marionettes were designed by Tony Sarg and sold through New York�s B Altman Company. For an advertised price of $4.95 one received two marionette characters and a pressed board stage with curtain and scenery. Some half dozen companies were commercially producing marionette toys during the 1930�s. The increased number of marionette makers reflected the rising public interest in marionettes and puppetry. This increased interest may have been due in part to the numerous books and articles written on puppetry during that time, the abundance of traveling marionette productions through out the country , or the puppetry programs in the Recreation and Theatre Projects of the Works Progress Administrations (W.P.A.).

Billy D.

I did find this newspaper article about Coffer Miller's Pedal Marionettes........... page 5
http://archives.iit.edu/technews/volume47/tnvol47no11.pdf

I believe the article was Volume #36
http://www.puppeteers.org/res_pub_journal_index2.html

Volume 36

Fall 1984 Cover: Bob Kramer Marionettes Vol 36 # 1 (41 pages)

The Emperors Nightingale at CTC by Gene Buck

Interview with Mabel Beaton by Gary Busk

Coffer-Miller Pedal Marionettes by Jean Reges Burn

Costuming by Lucy Drew

Astranea a show for adults by Margaret Berendes

Michigan Festival

Spoleto Festival by Ernest Mauer

Bielsko-Biala Poland Report by John Bell

May in Mexico by Pamela Ritch

Product Review by Rick Morse

Tributes to Bob Clampett, Mary Jo Schmiedeler, Ben Yano, Sallie Sellers Hayes, Jessie Crothers

Art director Michael Martell

This may be worth looking at................ Emily DeCola from http://www.expertvillage.com
http://www.expertvillage.com/video/40259_marionettes-examples.htm

Billy D.

Thanks, Billy, I was afraid no one would have the slightest idea of what I was talking about. These are a great bunch of links, and a privilege to see such excellent work. I'll slowly start on one and leave it open to any suggestions as I post the pictures- Steve (no longer confused)

You are Welcome................... I'm glad you mentioned it or I would have never known about it. I found the information very interesting, I look forward to seeing what you build using the information provided. I will continue to search for more information. It was so strange............ when you posted here the search for pedal puppets went #1 over night. Those robots are quick.

Billy D.

I'll be posting no later than next week in the puppet projects section (this may be slow going as I don't know what I'm doing but that's never stopped me before-Steve