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Gigi the Clown
Lois Carrington1948 – 1960
Australian National Maritime Museum
Sydney, Australia
This marionette with a papier mache head was hand made by English teacher Lois Carrington. It is one of many puppets Lois used to teach English to European migrants coming to Australia after World War II. Puppets provided comic relief and were useful for acting out real life situations migrants would face in Australia, such as buying groceries or posting a letter.
Details
- Title: Gigi the Clown
- Creator: Lois Carrington
- Date: 1948 – 1960
- Location: Victoria
- Type: Marionette
- Significance: Learning English was a key tenet of the Australian Government's official policy of assimilation after World War II. Migrants were offered English lessons in European Displaced Persons camps, during the ship voyage, in Australian migrant reception centres and in the workplace. This puppet relates to the work of Lois Carrington, one of hundreds of enthusiastic young Australians employed to smooth the passage of migrants to Australia after World War II.
- See institution's online collections: http://www.anmm.gov.au/collections
- Medium: Fabric, papier mache, wood, string, leather, metal
- Dimensions: 580 x 240 x 110 mm
- Credit line: ANMM Collection Gift from Lois Carrington
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