How To Use Our
"Clic-A-Pic"
MANUFACTURER'S GALLERY

Who MADE the rubber head hand puppets now found in grandparent's attics, at local garage sales, for sale at on-line galleries and toy shows?

First read the brief introduction about the exciting growth of puppetry in America, then click on the photos of ANY of the more than 40 companies who produced rubber head hand puppets.

HERE IS OUR SUGGESTED METHOD:

Choose a MANUFACTURER (listed alphabetically on both this page and on page 2).
Read a brief background story about the toymaker.
View their own "Clic-A-Pic" Galleries of puppets.
Click on the image of any puppet.... and HAVE FUN!
Each puppet includes a brief description, an approximate year in which it was made, plus a link to either a youtube video in which the puppet was originally featured, or to an article with further information.
What's better? If you are trying to find the identity of a puppet you own, you are in luck. Each page includes ways to identify it, too!

woody woodpecker rubber head hand puppet_edited.png

As promised, a brief history...

With the Industrial Revolution in the late 19th century toymakers began retooling their methods of producing toys. Secondarily, rubber was being used for squeaky toys, toy cars and trucks, teethers and pacifiers... and dolls and puppets. The use of china, bisque, chalkware and composition materials such as sawdust and glue faded into the background.

With the development of animated movies at the turn of the twentieth century things really changed. Movies, films and cartoons that had once been aimed at adults now had a wider audience: children. Puppetry moved from being a performance art, to an act of PLAY... and the film industry itself widened its audience to include CHILDREN! The first rubber head hand puppets were made. With the development of stop motion animation, puppets were even used 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. In 1931, Tony designed the balloon shown below. 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.

Once the war ended, puppetry flouished, as did the production of rubber head hand puppets for use by the general population of children. One well-known toy maker was known to have used the leftover injection-molded plastic bullets from the war to make plastic dolls and toys.

Parents were encouraged to make their own rubber puppets. 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."

Learn how to make your own rubber head hand puppets by clicking here!

Introducing the
"Clic-A-Pic" Manufacturers' Gallery
To discover other puppets made by each manufacturer, click on images below.

The Baby Barry Toy Company

(Late 40's-early 60's)

The Baby Barry Toy Company created beautiful full size dolls and rubber head hand puppets from their manufacturing facility in South Gate, California.

Their Emmett Kelly "Weary Willie" dolls and puppets are still available through on-line auction sites, and are very popular with collectors.

The company also manufactured an Alfred E. Neuman "What, Me Worry?" doll and puppet. (the puppets are quite rare, however). There is not much information available on-line about the company itself.

Chemi-Plastic of Los Angeles

(1949)

Before the Beany and Cecil show was sponsored by Mattel, the puppets were made in the forties by a firm located in Los Angeles called Chemi-Plastics, Inc.

Still researching the history of this firm: but more about the Beany and Cecil show and its' relationship to Mattel is available by clicking the link below.

This page is devoted to the puppets made by Chemi-Plastic of Los Angeles, Including Honey-Bear, V.G. Wong, and Dishonest John.

Educational Toys, Inc.

(1971)

Education Toys, Inc. is a division of Topper.

Fred Rogers, Inc.

(1960's)

Lady Elaine Fairchilde...
(to be continued)

Gund Manufacturing

How do I get this to show?

Hazelle, Inc.

Hazelle, Inc. was founded in 1937 by Hazelle Hedges Rollins in Kansas City, Missouri. She trained under Tony Sarg, in NYC and went on to create over 300 marrionettes, hand and finger puppets, all produced in the United States. She holds several patents, including one for an eaily operated hand control for marionettes called ther airplane contol. By 1975 she was the largest producer of puppets in America.