Summary

Hand made marionette depicting the American cartoon character Popeye the Sailor Man. It was manufactured and operated in Melbourne by Alex and Murray Smith, who performed as part of Le Forgeron Marionettes from 1930 until 1956.

Physical Description

Marionette depicting the cartoon character Popeye the Sailor Man, who is wearing a black jacket with three red buttons down the front. His sleeves finish just past his elbows and have off-white cuffs. He has a large rounded collar in a light brown fabric with off-white trim. There is a small hole in the front of his jacket and this is slight discolouration of the off-white fabric. Popeye wears light blue, wide leg trousers, which are also slightly discoloured. His brown boots have been painted on; his felt soles have been eaten in parts. His skin on his arms and face is pink and shiny (perhaps it has been lacquered). He has a very large head and an exceptionally large chin. The facial detailing has been painted in black and red, and is in excellent condition. His plastic eyes are blue with black pupil. A brown wooden pipe hangs out of his mouth. Popeye has lost his hair, what appears to have been ginger coloured. He wears a blue hat with a black leather rim. This marionette has a three piece mechanism. There are operating strings attached to numerous parts of him, including his head, limbs and shoulders. The feet have been weighted

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