{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1509197"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1509197/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019ME1036/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019ME1036/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2019ME1036","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1509197","accessionNumber":"S.389-2019","objectType":"Puppet","titles":[{"title":"Marionette of a Valet","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"The author, illustrator and puppeteer Harry Whanslaw (1883-1965), affectionately known as Whanny, who made this puppet, was an important figure in the history of the 20th century revival of puppetry in Great Britain. His 1923 book <i>Everybody's Theatre</i> led directly to the formation in 1925 of The British Model Theatre Guild - later the British Puppet and Model Theatre Guild, and a session of puppetry at a Guild meeting in 1926 with the puppeteer Waldo Lanchester (1897-1978) led to the foundation of The London Marionette Theatre where many new techniques of manipulation and construction of puppets were developed and the use of puppets in other fields such as advertising and television was pioneered.\n\nIn 1935 Whanslaw established the Studio Marionette Theatre in his house in Putney, where he presented regular performances with friends and students. He worked with the homeless and young people during World War ll creating puppets from bomb-damaged houses. He was the author of many books on various forms of puppetry including <i>Everybody's Marionette Book</i> (1935); <i>Puppetry for School and Home </i>(1936); <i>Animal Puppetry</i> (1948); <i>Shadow Play</i>(1950); and <i>A Bench Book of Puppetry </i>(1957).","physicalDescription":"Marionette of a Valet, with no strings, wearing a black tailcoat, black and white striped trousers, a grey waistcoat and grey spats","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Whanslaw, H.W.","id":"A13189"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Puppetry","id":"THES266219"},{"text":"Children's entertainment","id":"THES274363"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2019ME1036"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"003","id":"THES355621"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Puppet","id":""}],[{"text":"Marionette","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca.1930","earliest":"1925-01-01","latest":"1934-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"This marionette can be seen being manipulated by Harry Whanslaw in a photograph (S.3495-2013) taken by the Keystone Press Agency for publicity of the 13th annual exhibition of the British Puppet and Model Theatre Guild, Leicester Square, which ran from 24th to 30th October 1938"}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"S.3495-2013","id":"O1277554"},"association":"Object"}],"creditLine":"Given by the British Puppet and Model Theatre Guild","dimensions":[],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Marionette of a Valet made by H.W. Whanslaw (1883-1965). Wood and fabric, ca.1930","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.389-2019"],"accessionNumberNum":"389","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2019,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"British Puppet and Model Theatre Guild number","id":"THES50295"},"number":"P.256"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-18","recordCreationDate":"2019-08-28","availableToBook":true}}