Charlie McCarthy Puppet
Dublin Core
Title
Charlie McCarthy Puppet
Description
Charlie McCarthy was the creation of ventriloquist Edgar Bergen (1903-1978). Bergen was born to Swedish immigrant parents in Chicago in 1903, and at 16, began taking lessons in ventriloquism from Harry Lester. Bergen paid a Chicago woodcarver, Theodore Mack, $36 to sculpt a likeness of a local redheaded newsboy. This head went on a dummy's body to become Bergen's lifelong sidekick, Charlie McCarthy. Bergen gave his first performances with Charlie at the Waveland Avenue Congregational Church in Lakeview. They performed on a long-running radio show and in movies for the rest of Bergen's career.
Creator
Mack, Theodore
Publisher
National Museum of American History
Date
1922
Contributor
Bergen, Edgar
Format
Wood, plastic, cloth, human hair, glass, leather
Type
Puppet
Files
Citation
Mack, Theodore, “Charlie McCarthy Puppet,” Paris of the Midwest: Chicago, 1837-1987, accessed April 18, 2024, https://parisofthemidwest.omeka.net/items/show/23.