Kay Janney Library and Archives
The Ballard Institute’s Kay Janney Library and Archives, named for its longtime librarian, is a research collection of over 2,500 books, scripts, manuscripts, clipping files, posters, and audio-visual materials related to the history of puppet theater. While the collection covers the global history and current state of puppetry, it is particularly strong in materials dealing with twentieth- and twenty-first century puppet theater in the United States. In 2010 the Kay Janney Library became the home of the Puppeteers of America’s Audio-Visual Collection, a resource of over 700 films, videotapes, and other records of American puppetry over the last hundred years. The Kay Janney Library is open to scholars and other interested parties by appointment.
Biographies of Selected Puppeteers
The list below is only a fraction of the puppet artists in the United States and abroad. These links provide information and samples of work from many of the artists whose work can be found in collection of the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry.
Aicher, Hermann (1902-1977)
Ballard, Frank (1929-2010)
Baird, Bil (1904-1987)
Benton, Pauline (1898-1974)
Brown, Forman (1901-1995)
Burnett, Harry (1901-1993)
Chrysler, Sydney (1915-1999)
Fabbrini, Federico (unknown)
Flowers, Wayland (1939-1988)
Magon, Jero (1900)
McPharlin, Marjorie Batchelder (1903- 1997)
McPharlin, Paul (1903-1948)
Obraztsov, Sergei (1901-1992)
Regan, David
Ritz, Joyce Fritz
Roccoberton, Bart
Rose, Rufus and Margo (1904-1975, 1903-1997)
Sarg, Tony (1880-1942)
Williams, Brad ( 1951- 1993)