Lot 2265 , The John Styles Punch and Judy Collection, a group of brass ware

The John Styles Punch and Judy Collection,
a group of brass ware, comprising a pair of Punch and Judy doorstops, an individual Judy with Baby Punch doorstop, and a collection of Punch and Judy hearthside tools including a stand with four companion pieces, and two dust pan and brush sets
the tool stand 69cm high

Provenance note: Born in London in 1934, John Styles dedicated his life to entertaining audiences of all ages on both stage and screen. His career, spanning over 70 years, took its inspiration from the world of variety theatre, magic, puppetry and music hall.

Styles was a witty ambassador, avid collector and renowned exponent of the art of Punch and Judy. Performing his show in the UK and at puppet festivals worldwide, he championed the preservation of this classic, traditional British entertainment. The antics of Mr Punch took him from pubs to palaces, beaches to Broadway, and from house parties to Hollywood. He was a founder member of both the Punch & Judy College of ‘Professors’ and the Punch & Judy Fellowship and remained its president until his death in 2025. In addition to performing, Styles provided puppetry sequences on numerous film and TV productions including The Avengers, 102 Dalmatians, Time Bandits, Rainbow, The Box Of Delights, The Generation Game, Inspector Morse, Hancock, Midsomer Murders, Eastenders and The Darling Buds Of May.

John started collecting Punch & Judy puppets, prints, artefacts and ephemera in the early 1960s. His sons recall - “Dad couldn’t pass an antique or junk shop without popping in to see if they had anything Punch-related. Camden Passage in Islington and Antiquarius on the King’s Road were particular haunts. Be it a biscuit tin or seaside postcard, Victorian scrap or a brass fire-iron, Dad would gleefully purchase whatever was on offer”. Items from his collection have been exhibited at the Museum of London, Brighton Museum and featured on The Antiques Roadshow.
Beyond the candy-striped puppet booth, John was also a past-president of The International Brotherhood of Magicians and a highly respected member of The Magic Circle. He was especially proud to receive the degree of Member of The Inner Magic Circle with Gold Star, the Carlton Award for Comedy in Magic, and the prestigious Maskelyne Award. He was honoured to be made a Legend of the Magic Circle in 2024.

His significant contributions to entertainment were formally recognized when he was awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for Services to the Arts - especially Punch & Judy - by HM Queen Elizabeth II in 2004.
£80-120

Sold for £130