Pete the Performing Panda Marionette: Museum Object and Cultural History

Pete the Performing Panda Marionette: date made: 1942. date made: 1948. user: Haines, Elizabeth L..

By the Pop Culture Files editorial team•Updated September 30, 2026•2 min read•✓ Fact-checked

AI-generated editorial illustration — not a photograph of the subject

The object in the museum catalogue

The circus has a a long history in America entertainment beginning in the 18thc, Traveling by wagon and train the circus exposed Americans to sites and sounds never seen before, including exotic animals, people from far away lands and daring performances that required great skill and bravery. Popular with all ages, the Haines brought the spirit of the circus to hundreds of people in an around Philadelphia through their elaborate puppet shows.

The Haines' circus puppet characters included Tightrope Star, Mitzi from Vienna, Boxers Kanga and Roo, Patagonian Pigs Pinkie and Patti, Tony the Dog in clown outfit, performing bears Laska, Pete and Repete, Flying Trapeze Artist Tim, Mugsy the Barker, and a Ringmaster..

These two dancing pandas known as Pete and Repete are stufed wire forms covered with black and white plush fabric. Theh have flat wooden paws and feet painted back and they both are wearinga red velvet collar decorated with silver sequins. Two long wires are attached to neck and waist, and operated with a wooden handle.

Materials, dates and provenance

date made: 1942
date made: 1948
user: Haines, Elizabeth L.
user: Haines, Frank D.
maker: Haines, Elizabeth L.
maker: Haines, Frank D.
Object Name: puppet
Object Type: puppets
Physical Description: plush (overall material)
Physical Description: velvet (overall material)
Physical Description: sequins (overall material)
Physical Description: plastic (overall material)
Physical Description: wire (overall material)
Physical Description: wood (overall material)
Physical Description: paint (overall material)
Measurements: bear: 14 in x 8 in x 4 in; 35.56 cm x 20.32 cm x 10.16 cm
place made: United States: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
classified: Puppetry
ID Number: 2007.0137.005.08
accession number: 2007.0137
catalog number: 2007.0137.005.08
Credit Line: Gift of Elizabeth and Frank D. Haines
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.