Ballet Dancer Marionette: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

Created by Roy Patton in 1940, this lovely hand carved and painted marionette was used to advertise Revlon cosmetics in a major department store in New York City. She is dressed in what was once an elegant silk dress adorned with flowers and sequins with tiny ballet slippers on her feet. She is operated with an airplane control and nine strings.

In the early 1940s, Revlon, a major cosmetic company, employed the use of this glamorous marionette to promote its product line at a major department store on Fifth Ave in New York City. Set against a black back drop, the female puppeteer was clothed entirely in black with just her hands and face unveiled. As the marionette danced across the store window, the audience saw only the beautifully manicured nail polish and the newest lip stick color on the puppeteer as she worked the marionette.

Roy Patton's interest in puppets began at an early age. Raised as Quakers , he and his brother Harry were taught Bible stories through puppet shows that were staged in the community. Both Roy and Harry were drawn to puppetry and became interested in creating puppets and constructing stage settings. In 1934 Roy joined the Tatterman Marionette Company and became a master carver. Roy followed a few years later as a puppeteer and set designer.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date made: 1940
• user: Revlon
• maker: Patton, Roy E.
• Object Name: puppet
• Physical Description: fabric (overall material)
• Physical Description: string (overall material)
• Physical Description: wood (overall material)
• Physical Description: paint (overall material)
• Measurements: overall: 14 1/2 in x 6 in; 36.83 cm x 15.24 cm
• place made: United States: New York, New York City
• Subject: Puppetry
• Subject: Consumerism
• ID Number: 1981.0059.01
• accession number: 1981.0059
• catalog number: 1981.0059.01
• Credit Line: Gift of Harry J. Patton
• Data Source: National Museum of American History

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.