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She made me promise to conserve the creative works in the collection to the best of my ability. Currently, there are over 500 puppets from at least 32 different countries in the collection. The collection’s breadth is eclectic, but there are some beauti- ful examples of world puppet traditions. Some of my favorites include a rare Temes Nevinbur puppet from Vanuatu, a peerless set of Tunisian marionettes, a unique hand puppet by Rufus and Margo Rose, an opera puppet by Ernest Wolfe, several Belgian marionettes from the Royal Theatre Toone, and the Punch and Judy puppets of Bryan Clark of Great Britain. Many puppets in the collection have unknown origins and could be classified to a specific country if a provenance were known. In addition to the puppets, there are masks, ephemera, posters, papers, pictures, etchings, sculpture, paintings, ceramics, and an extensive library that includes many author-signed first edition volumes. Before I really knew anything about Alan Cook, I would see his name pop up quite frequently whenever there were discussions or writings about puppetry, and I thought: this guy really knows his stuff! Little did I know at the time! As the


Lorenzen’s puppet designs. He and his wife, Suzanne, donated some of his early work, including puppets from Jungle! (1970 adaptation of Kipling’s The Jungle Book). Christine and Robert Gregg have also donated to the collection as have many other benevolent puppetry enthusiasts.


Sicilian marionette. Hand puppets from Uzbekistan.


collection grew, I would acquire an odd puppet that I couldn’t identify and thought I’d take a chance and contact this fellow who seemed to have an encyclopedic knowledge of puppets and puppet history. To my surprise, he always replied almost immediately and provided the information I was seeking. I was impressed by his gracious willingness to help a total stranger with a kindred connection to puppetry. To him, it was sec- ond nature; to me, it was treasured advice. Although I never had an opportunity to meet Alan Cook in person, I feel quite fortunate that he generously shared some of his valuable time with me. He had a huge influence on my decision to con- tinue collecting and preserving this wonderful art form. The P/B Collection has also benefited immensely through gener- ous donations by individuals. William “Bill” Lorenzen was a Professor of Theater Design for 40 years at University of South Florida, specializing in costume and scenic design and pup- pet theater. The Lorenzen family was selected by Walt Disney World to write, design, and build elaborate marionette produc- tions for the World Showcase Marionette Theatre featured at the opening of Epcot Center in 1982. The productions ran for an amazing 3,000 live performances. His mentor, Frank Ballard of the University of Connecticut, has always largely influenced


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“What are your long-term plans for the collection?” That is literally the $64,000 question that most puppet collectors worry about and eventually must address. Alan Cook was fortunate that he found a home for his vast and extraordinary collection (officially the Cook/Marks collection), which is now under the competent and watchful eye of Dmitri Carter at the Northwest Puppetry Center in Seattle, Washington. However, many collections are broken up when collectors pass on. I be- lieve collections that offer pieces with some historical signifi- cance or legacy can benefit students and researchers, especially if they could get to examine them closely. When artifacts end up in museums or special collections they are sometimes put into storage and kept out of reach, which is understand- able with very rare or extremely fragile items. Museums and special collection facilities are geared toward the conserva- tion of artifacts and are trained in the methods of storage and safeguarding valuable art works. As a private collector, I can say with experience it is no small task to properly document, preserve, and store over 500-plus puppets and related objects. Special care precautions must be observed, such as protec- tion from light, humidity, pests, and other pollutants, and the puppet storage should meet archival standards. Every puppet in the P/B Collection has been photographed and cataloged. Information about each puppet is cross-referenced to its photo. I’ve tried to keep descriptions, spellings, provenances (if avail- able), and historical facts accurate to the best of my knowledge based largely on available references and discussions or cor- respondence with museums, experts, and other collectors. At the moment, I don’t have any profound long-term plans for the P/B Puppet Collection, but I am certain that someday it will benefit puppeteers, students, researchers, or historians. I was recently encouraged by Dmitri Carter’s statement to Ilan Savir of the Israel Puppet Center in Holon from their Facebook discussion November 2020. “We’re in an exciting time for puppetry. In the past, puppet history and culture was very seldom written down and was passed verbally from person to person. Traditional puppetry is important because modern artists are inspired by traditional methods and construction. This is an exciting time for outside the puppetry community and puppet museums. Mainstream museums and academic world are finally taking serious notice of puppetry. Theater and anthropology programs are paying attention to puppetry and its impact on human culture...that puppets are important artifacts.” So I’m still optimistic about collecting puppets, masks, and related items. Like many treasures in this age of the internet, quality pieces are becoming very hard to find or are ridiculously overpriced by eager sellers. I still rely on physi- cal treasure hunting in antique stores, thrift shops, and flea markets, but success there is a matter of luck. And none of this would even be possible without the invaluable assistance of my loving partner, Louise Barrett. We have traveled the world together and continue to search for and collect interesting new pieces. She has been instrumental in helping to build the col- lection over the years, as well as to provide love, support, and unlimited inspiration.


Greg Pellone has traveled extensively and now lives on a small island on the larger Treasure Island, Florida. He is an artist, puppet collector/ maker, researcher, writer, and occasional performer. He is the curator and conservator of the Pellone/Barrett Puppet Collection.


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