Kermit the Frog puppet donated by Jim Henson goes on display at Detroit Institute of Arts on Jan. 17, joined by original Howdy Doody puppet
Updated Jan 13, 2020
WHAT:
A Kermit the Frog puppet created by Jim Henson in 1969 and given to the DIA in 1971 goes on display Friday, January 17. Kermit first appeared in 1955, in the premiere of WRC-TV's Sam and Friends as a prototype Kermit, created from a discarded coat belonging to Henson's mother and two ping pong ball halves for eyes. The DIA’s Kermit resembles The Muppet Show puppet, which debuted in 1976, except that it has a double crenellated collar. Kermit appeared on Sesame Street with this collar type in 1969. The collar was developed to make him seem more frog-like and to conceal the seam between his head and body.
The DIA’s original 1947 Howdy Doody puppet, last on view in 2015, will also be on view.
WHEN:
On display to the public at 9 a.m. on Friday, January 17 through late March.
WHERE:
Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward Ave., in the puppet cases on the first floor
WHAT:
A Kermit the Frog puppet created by Jim Henson in 1969 and given to the DIA in 1971 goes on display Friday, January 17. Kermit first appeared in 1955, in the premiere of WRC-TV's Sam and Friends as a prototype Kermit, created from a discarded coat belonging to Henson's mother and two ping pong ball halves for eyes. The DIA’s Kermit resembles The Muppet Show puppet, which debuted in 1976, except that it has a double crenellated collar. Kermit appeared on Sesame Street with this collar type in 1969. The collar was developed to make him seem more frog-like and to conceal the seam between his head and body.
The DIA’s original 1947 Howdy Doody puppet, last on view in 2015, will also be on view.
WHEN:
On display to the public at 9 a.m. on Friday, January 17 through late March.
WHERE:
Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward Ave., in the puppet cases on the first floor