Samuel Pepys describes an Italian puppet show featuring Punchinello in London’s Covent Garden, May 9, 1662. “Punch and Joan” or “Punch and Joany” puppets were marionettes until about 1818 when Punch’s wife became known as Judy and she and Punch became hand puppets. (See Punch and Judy: A History by George Speaight. Boston: Plays, Inc., 1970.)
My first experience as a puppeteer was performing Punch and Judy at the San Francisco Dickens Faire. The Christmas room was designed by my husband who filled it with objects meaningful to my life — for example, the Punch and Judy stage, nesting dolls, finger puppets and See’s candy.