Paul McPharlin (1903–1948) was a
puppeteer
A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object called a puppet to create the illusion that the puppet is alive. The puppet is often shaped like a human, animal, or legendary creature. The puppeteer may be visible to or hidden from the ...
who created some twenty productions in Detroit between 1928 and 1937. He is remembered as a skillful performer and inventive
puppet
A puppet is an object, often resembling a human, animal or Legendary creature, mythical figure, that is animated or manipulated by a person called a puppeteer. Puppetry is an ancient form of theatre which dates back to the 5th century BC in anci ...
maker. He is a founding member of the
Puppeteers of America. In 1929, McPharlin established the Marionette Fellowship of Detroit. In 1933, he organized an important puppetry exhibit for the
Century of Progress
A Century of Progress International Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, was a world's fair held in the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States, from 1933 to 1934. The fair, registered under the Bureau International des Exposit ...
in Chicago. He was the husband and close collaborator of the puppeteer
Marjorie Batchelder McPharlin.
A collection of his work is on permanent display at the
Detroit Institute of Art
The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) is a museum institution located in Midtown Detroit, Michigan. It has list of largest art museums, one of the largest and most significant art collections in the United States. With over 100 galleries, it cove ...
.
A collection of his papers and books is at the University of New Mexico.
McPharlin also had an interest in the history of books and typography, and wrote the 1942 book, ''Roman numerals, typographic leaves and pointing hands : some notes on their origin, history, and contemporary use'', a study of the history of
Roman numeral
Roman numerals are a numeral system that originated in ancient Rome and remained the usual way of writing numbers throughout Europe well into the Late Middle Ages. Numbers are written with combinations of letters from the Latin alphabet, ea ...
s,
fleurons, and
manicule
The manicule, , is a typography, typographic mark with the appearance of a hand with its index finger extending in a pointing gesture. Originally used for handwritten marginal notes, it later came to be used in printed works to draw the reader' ...
s. He was a friend and contemporary of
William Addison Dwiggins
William Addison Dwiggins (June 19, 1880 – December 25, 1956) was an American type designer, calligrapher, and book designer. He attained prominence as an illustrator and commercial artist, and he brought to the designing of type and books so ...
, who shared his dual interests in typography and puppetry.
Notes
References
*Howard, Ryan. ''Paul McPharlin and the Puppet Theater''. Jefferson, North Carolina, and London: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, 2006.
*McPharlin, Paul. ''The Puppet Theatre in America: A History, with A List of Puppeteers 1524-1948''. New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1949.
External links
Paul McPharlin Puppetry Collection
{{DEFAULTSORT:McPharlin, Paul
American puppeteers
1903 births
1948 deaths