Jim Henson — where do you even begin with the man behind The Muppets himself? He raised millions of kids on his creations, ranging from wholesome children’s shows, such as Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock, to more… outlandish movies, such as The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth.
James Maury Henson was born September 24, 1936, in Greenville, Mississippi: however, he grew up in Leland, Mississippi, which is a town of only a couple thousand even today. Henson’s artistic skills were inspired and honed by none other than his grandmother, who was an artist dabbling in multiple fields — painting, needlework, and quilting.
Although his roots stretch back to Mississippi, the origins of The Muppets start in Maryland. The Henson’s moved to Maryland when Jim was in fifth grade. In high school, had the opportunity to showcase his puppeteering on a local program: WTOP-TV. From there, he moved on to college, where he received his own five-minute, twice-daily show — Sam and Friends — on WRC-TV. Many key elements of muppets were developed during this phase, with an early version of Kermit the Frog appearing on the show: Jim even met his future wife, Jane Nebel, on set, solidifying this as an integral event for muppet history (The Jim Henson Company).
From there, guest appearances and sponsor commercials led to a rise in fame for what would later be The Jim Henson Company. Even after Jim Henson’s passing in 1990, the company has continued to create and pursue his visions; but, what exactly were his visions?
Well, one of the ways you can get a glance into Jim Henson’s mind is by visiting the Center For Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, Georgia. This museum has a beautiful collection of puppets that cover a wide range of history across the globe: personally, I didn’t even realize how significant puppetry was to many cultures and how important it is to storytelling until visiting the museum.
However, about half of the museum is dedicated to Jim Henson, walking visitors through the history of The Jim Henson Company, including recreations of Jim’s workspaces, scattered with actual sketches he made of his muppets — but, best of all, they have many of the muppets on display.
Sure, some may argue that seeing Kermit or Elmo in person ruins the magic of television, but I beg to differ; once you see them in person, once you see the story with your own eyes and you understand what they truly meant to Jim Henson, as well as millions of children across the world — I think you gain a greater appreciation for what Jim Henson did for the world.
Though Jim Henson may be gone, his legacy will never be forgotten — he was a man who brought fresh, albeit eclectic ideas to the table, he helped make education more accessible and fun for children through television, and he’s all in all remembered as a man who understood the value of true art: and people like him shouldn’t be forgotten for a long, long time.
If you’re feeling bored, nostalgic, or curious, please, visit the Center for Puppetry Arts — even the obscure arts can provide quite the experience, after all.
