Punch and Judy in 19th Century America

Ryan Howard, professor of art emeritus at Morehead State University, is an art historian. He is the author of numerous articles and reviews on the puppet theater and lives in Morehead, Kentucky.

“Recommended”—Choice; “engaging...Howard does an excellent job of conjuring the sordid, freakish environments in which Punch often found refuge in his adopted country”—The Puppetry Journal.

• Table of ContentsIntroductionPart One. HistoryI.Punch’s HistoryII.The Punch and Judy PlayIII.Piccini, Mathews, and HenryIV.The American Punch and Judy ShowV.ChildhoodVI.Punch and Judy in Outdoor Public SpacesVII.Punch and Judy in the Museum and at the CircusVIII.The American Punch and Judy and the World of PuppetsPart Two. Biographical DictionaryNineteenth-Century American Punch and Judy Players and Figure MakersAppendicesA.New York Times, Interview with Mr. ButtercupsB.“Punch and Judy Shows: How the Lively Puppets Are Made to Do Their Work: Various Versions of the Miniature Tragedy in French, German, and English—Local Figures and Gags—The Cost of an Outfit,” New York Sun Interview with Harry AllenC.Punch and Judy Performance Script by Thomas A.M. WardD.The Tragical Acts, or Comical Tragedies of Punch and Judy by W.J. JuddChapter NotesBibliographyIndex