Museum Watch: What do we know about Jim Henson?

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Museum Watch: What do we know about Jim Henson?

POSTED: Tuesday, September 15, 2009, 5:55 PM

Filed Under: Arts | Movies | TV

Courtesy of James A. Michener Museum

Every time I take the train to work, it stops at Fern Rock. And every time it reminds me of Fraggle Rock, a Jim Henson creation from my childhood that's so deeply ingrained that I think about it almost daily, if only briefly. So many of Henson's character's from Sesame Street and The Muppet Show inspire that feeling in other people. For some, they're practically sacred. Even those who don't feel quite so strongly about Big Bird and Kermit, though, can still agree that they're certainly well-known. But what do we know about the man behind the puppet? The exhibit "Jim Henson's Fantastic World" up at James A. Michener Museum (138 S. Pine St., Doylestown, 215-340-9800) through November 29 can provide a bit of insight. "The focus is Henson's creative thinking," says Karen Falk, director of archives for the Jim Henson Co. and the exhibit's curator. "It gives people a picture of how his ideas came to be." The exhibit includes more than 100 original drawings, storyboards and excerpts of his early experimental films. Upon entering the exhibit, people are greeted by the real Kermit puppet Henson used in the '70s. "It's exciting for people to meet a childhood character in person," says Falk. "It's like seeing an old friend."

Eric

Posted 2009-09-15 16:24:41

Jim Henson's muppets were every child's favorite! They were funny and even inspirational. Miss Pissy, Kermit, Fozzy and the rest of the gang taught us about life very early on.

Troper

Posted 2010-03-25 10:44:03

Well, a couple of things we DO know about Jim Henson - thanks to a very explicit screenplay entitled "The Muppet Man" that's been circulating the internet - is that he was about the worst role model for children one could imagine. He was a drug addict and cheated on his wife, and his employees aided him in both pursuits. Nice. No wonder the Henson kids bought the screenplay, intending, no doubt, to bury it. But nothing that hits the net ever disappears...

Posted by Julia West @ 5:55 PM Permalink | Post a comment

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