Puppet Shows

 

In eighteenth-century literature, puppet shows are noted as a staple of contemporary life. They were a social form of entertainment and tended to draw large crowds of fascinated spectators, who would often become mesmerised by the performance. The role of puppetmasters such as Martin Powell in creating this magical atmosphere is frequently explored. This world of fantasy is often also referenced as a medium for debate of serious issues such as contemporary politics, as witty humour (in comparison with earnest rhetoric) provided a slightly safer means through which authorities could be criticised. On a smaller scale, individuals embroiled in dispute sometimes also found themselves the subject of ridicule in eighteenth-century puppet shows.

 

Given that the wealthy elite were often portrayed unfavourably, some critics, such as Robert Leach, have argued that the shows were an expression of a new and rapidly growing working class culture in Britain. Class is certainly an issue at the forefront of contemporary literature on puppet shows, as there are numerous allusions to the restrictions placed on entrance.  Similarly, the experiences of women as both spectators and participants at eighteenth-century puppet shows reveal a great deal about the gender roles of the era. Women's presence at puppet shows reveals that their ability to access the public sphere was improving; however, this space was hostile and dangerous. There is also significant evidence of growing moral concern across the century about puppet shows and other forms of entertainment deemed to promote depravity. It is not only the bawdy Punch who comes under fire: puppet show audiences are also frequently depicted in this negative light.  

 

Puppet Shows and Performance

 

Much of the Eighteenth Century writings on puppet shows focuses on the performance element of puppet shows. 

One letter to the Spectator, dated 16th March 1711, demonstrates the extent of the popularity that Punch's puppet shows enjoyed. A clergyman of St. Paul's, Covent-Garden, who has been at his post for "twenty Years," complains that the majority of his former congregation have abandoned the church entirely. Instead of attending services, they now "take the Warning of [his] Bell, Morning and Evening, to go to a Puppett-show set forth by one Powell." The shows are so popular that he has "no Work worth speaking of but on Sundays." He describes this desertion as an extremely recent phenomenon. Having begun only "this Fortnight last past", it seems to have taken rapid effect on the community.

 

This sense of captivation is also noted in Hannah More's poem, The Puppet Show: A Tale. In this jaunty, narrative poem, an Earl finds himself "Transported with the mimic art,/The wit of Punch enthrall'd his heart" (29-30). There is clearly a magical quality to the experience of attending a puppet show, and More uses the shows metaphorically to make her point about performance and deception. The strength of puppet shows is their atmosphere, created by "the lights, the noise, the tricks, the distance" (93). More's use of the puppet show in this way makes it apparent that it is the show, not the puppet, which is so enthralling.

 

Specifically, the puppetmaster is presented as a fascinating figure of mystery in Eighteenth Century texts. The puppetmaster is the creator and controller of the shows: the architect of their magic. In the same issue of the Spectator, another letter praises Mr Powell for "wisely forbearing to give his Company a Bill of Fare before-hand" so that "every Scene is new and unexpected." Thomas Burnet, in his A Second Tale of a Tub: or, The History of Robert Powel the Puppet-Show-Man, corroborates this praise, calling Powell "one of the most dextrous managers of human Mechanism" (xxvi). Notably, Burnet makes mention of the fact that "his Wires are perfectly invisible" (xxvii), meaning that the spell is never broken and the audience remains enthralled.

 

Cover image: A Second Tale of a Tub: Or, The History of Robert Powel the Puppet-Show-Man

Thomas Burnet

1715

 

The Rowlandson painting shows a large crowd gathered to see the show. Many attendees appear to have been drawn in from other activities: there is a woman carrying her washing on her head and a small group of people looking out of the doorway. This messy, disorganised and spontaneously assembled crowd highlights the power of puppet shows to attract curious passers-by, reinforcing the idea of a magical atmosphere.

 

Towards the back of the crowd, a man and woman are kissing and another woman seems to be conversing with the people around her. This portrays the puppet show as a social affair, with the power to draw a community together. The open space and grand buildings in the background suggest a central location, corroborating the fears voiced by the clergyman writing to the Spectator about the puppet show as a popular attraction which took place at "Hours [...] canonical" and which most nearby residents would have been aware of.

 

Puppet Shows and Politics

 

In addition to being a popular form of entertainment, puppet shows were often used as a vehicle through which to comment on contemporary affairs.  They were an effective way of representing eighteenth-century life in miniature. As Dr. Swist puts it:

 

The life of man to represent,

And turn it all to ridicule,

Wit did a puppet show invent,

Where the chief action is a fool. 

 

 

A prison chaplain, commenting on one case, expresses his concern that "unthinking men laugh at all that is serious, and had rather attend to the burlesque foolery of a farce or a puppet shew, than give themselves the least trouble to think by what means either themselves may be safe, or their fellow creatures happy." By combining humour, Wit and mockery with serious concerns of the time, puppet shows provided a means for a critique of the establishment that was safe, popular and accessible to a wide range of audiences. 

 

A letter to the Spectator also demonstrates how puppet shows represented contemporary politics - and often did so with bawdy humour. The writer complains of "Punch's national Reflections on the French, and King Harry's laying his Leg upon his Queen's Lap in too ludicrous a manner." The monarchy is rather crudely portrayed, which was clearly unpopular with some. Yet James Robertson's poem suggests that these comments carried little weight, as the puppet show's enthralling atmosphere was one relatively "undisturb'd by Critic rules" (11).

 

The poem goes on to make a direct comparison between puppets and political figures:

 

"In London ---nay some say, at Court--- 

"There's nought more common than to see 
"The beaver doff'd and bended knee, 
"To strutting wooden-headed beaus, 
"With empty sobs and tinsel cloaths; 
"Who, puppet like, ne'er speak or move, 

 "But as they're wire-led from above; 
"And like these folk aside are thrown, 
"As useless Logs--- the work once done ." 

 

The suitability of puppet shows as a medium for critique of insubstantial and easily manipulated politicians and rulers is made clear. The ridiculous, exaggerated "strutting" (73) motions of the puppets would convey the pomposity of those being imitated, while their fine clothes - "the beaver doff'd" (72) - betrayed what the puppetmaster saw as their misplaced values. Joseph Addison also notes the portrayal of "Man's various Follies in their wide Extent"; it is clear that nobody was immune from the ridicule of the puppet show.

 

 

Puppet Shows and Class

 

Puppet shows were a reflection of the eighteenth-century class system. Robert Leach identifies puppet shows as belonging to "what may legitimately be called a working class culture" which "sprouted, awkwardly and haphazardly" (30) towards the end of the Eighteenth century. With some shows being held in the streets (as evidenced by both Rowlandson and Ghezzi's artistic depictions), they would have attracted a large and diverse crowd. The Rowlandson illustration shows a wide variety of people, from gentlemen who are smartly dressed, to women depicted in the middle of domestic labour duties, to young children dressed in rags. 

 

However, contemporary literature reveals that hierarchies were certainly still in place. In Addison's account, he notes that "Each various Bench distinguish'd Honours grace,/And potent Farthings win the foremost Place." Not only could the more affluent attendees afford a better view of the show, but one's social rank would be apparent to other audience members depending on where they were seated. The layout of the puppet show's seating area created a visual class hierarchy. 

 

 

A Puppet Show

1735. Pier Leone Ghezzi

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Collection

Accessed via ArtStor  

 

 

There are also references to an entrance fee, which not only prohibited some working class people from entering, but was a source of discrimination for those who successfully did. One Old Bailey report details how a puppetmaster comes to suspect three men on the basis that "he thought they could not come honestly by" the entrance fee of one guinea, presumably on the basis of their appearance and manner. The poor were often the subject of such discriminatory moral Outrage. While this particular puppet show appears to have been a somewhat private affair, some puppet shows were clearly more public. The artwork by Ghezzi depicts one such show held in the street, where the crowd appears to be under few restrictions: people can be seen entering and leaving freely. These open shows perhaps attracted a more working class audience.

 

Puppet Shows and Gender

 

The experiences of women at eighteenth-century puppet shows were varied. The concerned clergyman who "placed [his[ Son at the Piazzas" in an attempt to win back his congregation notes the presence of "Ladies" at the shows. There is even evidence (albeit rare) of female puppetmasters. In one thief's defence, it is noted that "she kept a puppet-show, and [her accomplice] travelled with her with the show to a great many places." To some extent, then, women were participants in this social, public sphere. The Ghezzi illustration shows a woman holding hands with her young child, while Rowlandson depicts a mother cradling the baby as she watches the show.

 

 

 

 

A Punch And Judy

Undated. Thomas Rowlandson, 1756-1827

Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection

http://britishart.yale.edu

Accessed via ArtStor

 

However, for women, puppet shows were fraught with danger and harassment. In the corner of the Rowlandson illustration, we see a flattered young woman being led away by a man whose predatory body language (his arms are spread across her) suggests rapacious intentions. Most of the women present are accompanied by husbands - likely for safety. One woman mentions being stalked and watched by her former husband: "she alledged, That he had ogled her [...] once at Powell's Puppet-Show." 

 

Puppet Shows and Morality

 

Despite often conveying political messages and moral judgements, puppet shows were sometimes controversial. With their bawdy humour and tendency to ridicule those in positions of power, many viewed them with disdain. Queen Anne's 28 April 1709 proclamation lists puppet shows among a list of entertainments accused of encouraging "all manner of vice and debauchery." This Anne clearly disliked puppet shows so much that she sought to ban them from a fair in Great Brookfield:

 

 

As alluded to in the proclamation, puppet shows also appear to have been a popular site for criminals, given the large crowd which would have been distracted by the entertainment. Numerous Old Bailey judgements refer to crimes committed there; in one case, a witness notes that "the prisoner has a drum, and drums about at a puppet show." Another defendant is described as using the puppet show as a means of distraction, asking his victim "if [he] stood to hear music at the puppetshow" before comitting his theft. In the Rowlandson image, a young boy can be seen reaching into the pockets of a smartly dressed gentleman. 

 

Robertson's poem notes that "The Lads and Lasses blithe regale,/And feast on cheese-cakes, tarts, and ale" (3-4). This drunken behaviour was perhaps useful to criminals, who could benefit from the drunken confusion of their victims. Beer, Rum and Wine were certainly popular drinks in the Eighteenth Century, as water was generally unsafe to drink. This drunken behaviour could also have reinforced the view that puppet shows were a base, immoral form of entertainment.

 

It is clear that some saw puppet shows in this way; in one opera, it is "urged that a Puppet Show [is] not a suitable Entertainment for Alexander the Great." Hannah More's poem also captures this concern. The lord's visit to the puppet show is marked as unconventional for his rank:

 

Not much refinement grac'd the youth. 
The path of pleasure which he trod 
Was somewhat new, and rather odd; 

It was a taste you'll think, I fear

Somewhat peculiar for a Peer

 

It seems, therefore, that puppet shows were widely regarded as an immoral pastime, where criminal activity was rife. 

 

Sources:

 

Addison, Joseph. "THE PUPPET-SHOW." 26 April 1746. <http://search.proquest.com/britishperiodicals/docview/3756859/fulltextPDF/11C16EAD9AF34EB6PQ/6?accountid=14888>.

 

A poem describing what took place at an eighteenth-century puppet show. Particularly useful for the section on 'Puppet Shows and Performance,' but also makes reference to the way people were seated by class status.

 

Anne, Queen. "By the Queen, a proclamation." 28 April 1709. <https://data.historicaltexts.jisc.ac.uk/view?pubId=eccoii-1633201300&index=eccoii&pageId=eccoii-1633201300-10>.

 

A proclamation banning puppet shows on the basis that they were deemed immoral and associated with crime. Very helpful insight into puppet shows and morality.

 

Burnet, Thomas. A Second Tale of a Tub: Or, The History of Robert Powel the Puppet-Show-Man. London: J. Roberts, 1715. Web.

Haan, Estelle. Vergilius Redivivus. American Philosophical Society, 2005. Web.

 

A useful source on the role of the puppetmaster in creating a magical performance which enthralled audiences.

 

Leach, Robert. The Punch & Judy Show: History, Tradition, and Meaning . Georgia: University of Georgia Press, 1985. Web.

 

Useful insight into the place of puppet shows within a rising eighteenth-century working class culture.

 

"Letters." The Spectator, vol.1 16 March 1711. Web.

 

Evidence of the popularity of puppet shows, and their use as a vehicle for political and moral messages.

 

More, Hannah. "THE PUPPET-SHOW: ." n.d. <http://0-literature.proquest.com.pugwash.lib.warwick.ac.uk/searchFulltext.do?id=Z200653086&childSectionId=Z200653086&divLevel=2&queryId=2916148710706&trailId=152E1822046&area=poetry&forward=textsFT&queryType=findWork>.

 

A poem emphasising the magic of performance and the way puppet shows were viewed as "unrefined" by some upper class people.

 

"News." Weekly Journal or Saturday's Post 6 January 1722.

 

A newspaper article detailing the events of an opera, in which puppet shows are deemed too base an entertainment for the character of Alexander the Great. 

 

"News." Daily Courant 30 May 1716.

 

A newspaper article describing a woman's experiences at a puppet show - useful for the section on Puppet Shows and Gender.

 

Robertson, James. "The PUPPET-SHOW. A Tale." 1773. <http://0-literature.proquest.com.pugwash.lib.warwick.ac.uk/searchFulltext.do?id=Z200474561&divLevel=2&area=poetry&DurUrl=Yes&forward=textsFT&queryType=findWork>.

 

A poem describing a young man's visit to a puppet show, which concludes with a comparison between political figures and puppets. Helpful for demonstrating how puppet shows were used as a means of commenting on contemporary affairs.

 

Swist, Dr. "The Puppet-Show." The Edinburgh magazine August 1762: 403.

 

A poem describing the events at a puppet show, where various follies of men are represented in miniature. Useful for the section on Puppet Shows and Politics.

 

The Ordinary of Newgate. "Ann Kendall, Martha Tame, Theft > grand larceny, 28th February 1759." 28 February 1759. <http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?id=t17590228-18&div=t17590228-18&terms=puppet#highlight>.

 

An Old Bailey account of a theft. The defendant, a woman, is described as keeping a puppet show; this was extremely useful information for the section on Puppet Shows and Gender.

 

The Ordinary of Newgate. "CHARLES PIPKINS, Theft > burglary, 11th September 1776." 11 September 1776. <http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?id=t17760911-84&div=t17760911-84&terms=puppet#highlight>.

 

An Old Bailey account of a burglary. The defendant is said to be a performer at a puppet show.

 

The Ordinary of Newgate. "John Derman, Theft > grand larceny, 21st February 1770." 21 February 1770. <http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?id=t17700221-57&div=t17700221-57&terms=puppet#highlight>.

 

An Old Bailey account of a theft, in which the puppet show is used as a means of distraction while the crime is committed.

 

The Ordinary of Newgate. "JOHN EDINGTON, WILLIAM HARVEY, Theft > theft from a specified place, 15th January 1778." 26 July 1778.<http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?id=t17780115-7&div=t17780115-7&terms=puppet#highlight>.

 

An interesting Old Bailey account of two prisoners who were first suspected on the basis that they did not look like they could afford the entrance fee to a puppet show. This was useful for the section on Puppet Shows and Class.

 

The Ordinary of Newgate. "Ordinary's Account, 26th July 1745." 26 July 1745. <http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?id=OA17450726&div=OA17450726&terms=puppet#highlight>.

 

An Old Bailey account which identifies puppet shows as being full of "burlesque foolery" and notes that nothing is beyond ridicule. Particularly relevant to the section on Puppet Shows and Performance.