Theatre & dance / Visual art
Paul McPharlin
1903–1948 · puppeteer, puppet maker, historian of puppetry
Detroit puppeteer who staged some twenty productions in the city (1928–1937), founded the Marionette Fellowship of Detroit and co-founded the Puppeteers of America.
- Born
Detroit, Michigan- Died
Birmingham, Michigan
aged 44- Detroit years
- 1903–1948
- Field
- Theatre & dance, Visual art
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
McPharlin was born in Detroit and became one of the founders of modern American puppetry. Between 1928 and 1937 he created about twenty productions in Detroit, admired for his skill as a performer and his inventive puppet designs, and in 1929 he founded the Marionette Fellowship of Detroit, bringing together local artists and amateurs. In 1933 he organized a major puppetry exhibit for the Century of Progress world's fair in Chicago, and he was a founding member of the Puppeteers of America. With his wife and collaborator, the puppeteer Marjorie Batchelder McPharlin, he also wrote and edited widely; his history The Puppet Theatre in America was published after his death. A book lover, he also studied typography and the history of printed ornaments. His collection of puppets is on permanent display at the Detroit Institute of Arts, which built one of the country's important puppetry holdings around it.
Highlights
- Created about twenty puppet productions in Detroit, 1928–1937
- Founded the Marionette Fellowship of Detroit in 1929
- Founding member of the Puppeteers of America
- His puppet collection is on permanent display at the Detroit Institute of Arts
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 1
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Memorial · permanent display
Detroit Institute of Arts (Friday Night Live!)
The museum's puppetry holdings include McPharlin's work, on permanent display.