Object Details
performer
Henson, Jim
maker
Henson, Jim
Description (Brief)
Sam is a hand puppet and the title character of Sam and Friends. This is the original Sam puppet that was created by Jim Henson in October 1954. Sam has a papier-mâché head which makes him more rigid than most of the other puppets created by Jim Henson. He never spoke, but he would lip-sync to popular music and comedy records from the time. Sam and Friends was a five-minute show that aired on the local NBC affiliate station in Washington, D.C., WRC-TV. It featured a cast of hand puppets created by Jim Henson and his eventual wife Jane Nebel that often lip-synched to popular songs or comedy records. It aired from 1955 to 1961.
Location
Currently not on view
Credit Line
Gift from the Family of Jim Henson
date made
1954-10
ID Number
2010.0144.01
accession number
2010.0144
catalog number
2010.0144.01
Object Name
puppet
Physical Description
fabric (overall material)
paint (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 21 in x 14 in x 11 in; 53.34 cm x 35.56 cm x 27.94 cm
See more items in
Culture and the Arts: Entertainment
Jim Henson
Data Source
National Museum of American History
Subject
Puppetry
Television broadcasts
Television
Link to Original Record
Record ID
nmah_1396954