Exhibitions and Public Displays of Pelham Puppets

There are many places where Pelham Puppets are exhibited and on show to the public both in the UK and in the USA. Here are just a few that can be found. I will add information about several more museum displays of Pelham Puppets in due course. For information about each venue featured, please follow the link to their website.

Toy & Model Museum within the Gulliver’s Kingdom Theme Park Matlock Bath, Derbyshire.

The History of Pelham Puppets’ Room is a major part of the new Toy & Model Museum within the theme park and includes Animated Display Units, large display puppets and many more of the standard puppets too. The large Gulliver Unit was the last job I completed before leaving Pelham Puppets and Marlborough in 1981. It was great to see it again 42 years later in March 2023. Further information about the Theme Park opening times etc, can be found  HERE. 

Entrance to the Pelham Puppets Exhibition Room in the Gulliver’s Kingdom Toy Museum

The back walls of the Cabinets feature a photographic timeline about the History of Pelham Puppets

Wroxham Miniature World in Norfolk

Peter Williamson has a lovely collection of Pelham Puppets on display along with his old penny arcade at Wroxham Miniature World in Norfolk. The Exhibition includes over 40 individual puppets along with two animated shop display units and a fully restored Mayfield Electronics coin operated amusement machine from the early 1970s.

Peter’s main interest and business is collecting and restoring vintage penny machines, leading to the machines being put back to use into his penny arcades at Wroxham Miniature Worlds, Norfolk and Merrivale Model Village in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. Featured below are just some of the puppet displays included. Further information can be found on their website HERE. 

 

Pelham Puppets in Marlborough Museum

Pelham Puppets finally have their own dedicated space in Marlborough Museum, within the Merchant’s House on the High Street, from August 2021. I installed the first, small display that included half a dozen of the most popular puppets as well as some Pelpup News magazines and other information about the Pelham Puppet Company.

This exhibit remained in place for two years and was replaced in October 2023 with a new set of puppets and related material that were very kindly donated to the museum by Huw Davies. I also donated a painting (acrylics on canvas,) that I did showing the Pelham Puppet Factory as it looked in the 1970s.

There is currently a small, new display of Pelham Puppets on show in Marlborough Museum. Below are a couple of photographs of the display.