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Image by Sam Schooler
CAPTAIN KANGAROO

Meet The Manufacturers/Toymakers

1900-2000

When the rubber hits the road...

Puppets had always been made from a variety of substances. Paper, cardboard, wood, chalkware, bisque and composition materials made of sawdust and glue. However, when the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company discovered a process called vulcanization, rubber became more flexible. Rubber had been made from latex, and the use of plastics grew. The largest producer of puppets was Hazelle, but other companies followed. 

Click on each photo to be directed to the growing record of puppets created by the manufacturers listed below and on subsequent pages.

WELCOME TO OUR

VIRTUAL PUPPET GALLERY
 

With the Industrial Revolution in the late 19th century, toymakers began retooling their methods. Rubber was being used for squeaky toys, toy cars and trucks, teethers and pacifiers.. dolls and puppets. 

 

With the development of animated movies at the turn of the twentieth century, things changed.  Movies, films and cartoons that had once been aimed at adults now had a wider audience: children. The first rubber head hand puppets were made. With the development of stop motion imagination, puppeteers such as were employed to help produce cartoons. 

 

In 1927, puppeteer Tony Sarg, a window designer for Macy's in NYC, employed Goodyear Tire and Rubber to help design and create the first rubber balloons used in the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.

The first cartoon character to lead the parade? Felix the Cat. 

 

During the 2nd World War, the making of rubber toys was banned because the materials were needed for the war effort. In fact, children were encouraged to donate their rubber toys for conversion to military products. 

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In July, 1954 Mechanix Illustrated included a detailed article called "Puppets That Make Faces" by Dorothy Gleason, encouraging folks to "Make one of these funny chaps in you want to provide fun and laughs for children." The materials used? Liquid latex (rubber)!​

 

Even better, learn how to make your OWN rubber heads by clicking here!

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Gallery One:
To discover other puppets made by each manufacturer, click on images below.
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