Masterpiece of the Week: The Codman Judy, 1860

Judy Puppet
Circa 1860
The Museum of Liverpool

She may not be as old as Mr. Punch, and she may not have always been called “Judy” (she began in Britain as a character named “Joan”), but Judy is as much a part of the history of world culture as her illustrious husband.


This long-suffering, wooden-headed lady, can’t be considered the world’s best mother. She did marry Mr. Punch, after all, and leaves her baby in the care of her irresponsible mate, but she’s fiercely protective of her offspring and becomes quite enraged when her child is made into sausage—as one does.

So, in honor of Mother’s Day and Mr. Punch’s impending birthday, we pay homage to Judy with this lovely puppet which is one of the original pieces from the Codman Family. Codman’s is a family-operated theatre which has been a part of Liverpool, England culture since the 1860’s.

Still in excellent condition, this Judy is no worse for wear after thousands of beatings. With her pinched face and slight snarl, she’s still a formidable force after over a century.

Sunday Viewing: Stella Dallas, 1937

Based on the 1923 novel by Olive Higgins Prouty, the 1937 film version of Stella Dallas is considered the quintessential story of motherly sacrifice and is often aired on Mother’s Day.


Directed by King Vidor and produced by Samuel Goldwyn for Metro, the film stars Barbara Stanwyck in the title role with John Boles and Anne Shirley, earning a Best Actress Oscar nomination for Stanwyck.

The film, set initially after the First World War, follows the life of the daughter of a Massachusetts mill-worker. Stella has a taste for fine and fast living and ambitions to lead a better, if not more exciting, life. At the mill, Stella meets executive Stephen Dallas who has troubles of his own. His father, after losing the family fortune, has committed suicide and he takes comfort in the wild Stella despite the fact that he vows to marry his fiancée after regaining his fortune.

Realizing that his fiancée has moved on and married another person, Stephen marries Stella and they have a daughter, Laurel. Stella still has a hankering for her party life, but finds she has a surprisingly maternal side as well. Soon, she’s pushing her own social-climbing ways onto Laurel. As Stephen grows more disgusted by Stella’s behavior, he finds he has a job opportunity in New York. Stella and Stephen separate and Stella retains custody of their daughter.

A long illness and embarrassing social situations make Stella wonder if she is able to give her daughter the life she feels she deserves. Soon, Stella is forced to make a difficult decision for the good of her child.

A popular favorite, the film is filled with excellent performances and is the perfect accompaniment to your Mother’s Day celebration.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Punch!

On Monday, May 9, Mr. Punch celebrates his 349^th birthday.  Let’s all wish him the very best for another 349 years of slap-sticking, sausage-grinding fun!  That’s the way to do it!

Sunday Morning Special: Morticia Addams: Spooky, Spectacular Mother

Carolyn Jones as "Morticia"

Sure, she powdered her face with baking powder. Yes, she preferred the thorns over the blossoms. And, sure, she smoked—from her armpits. But, Morticia Addams was a great mother. Her top priority was always her family. She’d fence with Gomez. She’d make sure that Wednesday’s dolls were headless and she always took the time to feed Pugsley’s spider, Aristotle.


Morticia was a modern mother. So, on this Mother’s Day, let’s pay tribute to all mothers everywhere from the kooky to the traditional!

Reminder: "Punch's Cousin" Will Return on Monday

Poor Mr. Punch! In last week’s chapters of Punch’s Cousin, we saw Edward Cage corner Mr. Punch and his friends after his valet, Odo, hijacked their carriage. As Edward demanded his son back, he grabbed Adrienne, insisting he’d not release her until the baby was returned to him. For once, Ulrika’s intrusion worked to their advantage and Edward let Adrienne go. Ulrika, who happened to have possession of Iolanthe’s son, proposed a scheme wherein she’d keep her silence about the false murder of Punch/Julian, the baby, and Robert in exchange for the Fallbridge Fortune. Clearly, Mr. Punch was no interested in what she had to say. Robert seized the opportunity to speed of in the carriage with Adrienne and “Colin” inside. Luckily, the happened upon Marjani on their way.


Marjani, who had just managed to escape the torture of Marie Laveau, guided Robert and their charges to the home of some of her friends who agreed to help them. But, they all knew that they were working on borrowed time.

Meanwhile, Barbara narrowly escaped an attack by Charles’ murderous brother (by konking him over the head, Mr. Punch style) and reunited with Charles who told her that they could start a new life together. Bereft upon learning that her brother and son had been “killed,” Barbara tried to murder Giovanni, but Charles stopped her. Of course, as a murderous fellow would, Giovanni vowed revenge.

Furthermore, life is complicated by the return of Arthur and his slightly dimwitted new friend, Gerard. Arthur’s first stop was the house on Royal Street occupied by Mr. Punch and his friends. Cecil surprisingly proposed that Arthur assist them in not only distracting Ulrika, but also retrieving the stolen blue diamond. Later, Cecil and Mr. Punch realized that probably wasn’t a good idea.

This week, with Arthur reunited with Ulrika, Iolanthe in prison—furiously waiting for her own brand of justice, Barbara and Charles on the run, Marjani still on Marie’s list and Giovanni bent on revenge, Mr. Punch will have an even more difficult time than ever in protecting his nephew. It promises to be an exciting week! If you’ve missed any chapters of Punch’s Cousin, you can read them in the Chapter Archive. Come back on Monday for an all new Chapter!

Happy Mother's Day!

Image: The Nosegay, Ford Madox Brown, The Liverpool Museums.

Coming this Week at "Stalking the Belle Époque"

It’s a new week at Stalking the Belle Époque. Let’s see what’s in store for you.



1. Antiques and interesting objects from my own collection? As always, you’ll get a glimpse into my unusual assortment of “stuff.”

2. Goals for the Day? Yes, there will be several helpful hints that you can employ in your daily life.

3. Punch’s Cousin? Mr. Punch has got more trouble on his hands. He’s put his trust in Arthur of all people. Besides that, he’s faking his own death. That can’t end well, especially with Iolanthe Evangeline waiting angrily behind bars for a murder that she didn’t commit. Meanwhile, Robert and Adrienne are in a sticky situation—hiding out with a stolen child. Marjani has still got issues with Marie Laveau and Charles and Barbara are in the path of danger as Giovanni seeks revenge. Add Ulrika Rittenhouse into the mix and you’ve got an exciting week.

4. A visit to an exciting location? This week, we’re in America, visiting the amazing mansion, “The Breakers.”

5. Gorgeous gems and jewelry? Absolutely! Diamonds, diamonds and more diamonds. You can bet that Queen Mary is responsible for a good many of them, too.

6. Art? Paintings, sculpture, fans, gold-work and luxurious fabrics.

7. Unusual Artifacts? Certainly. This one is quite unusual.

8. A Gratuitous Bertie Dog Picture? Bertie will be popping up in another gorgeous work of art.

9. Classic cinema? I’ve got two wonderful films coming this week.

10. Rare antique photos? You can count on it—as well as some lovely frames.

11. Visits with two great celebrities who really work hard to make a difference? Two of your favorites! And, one of them is rather a surprise.

12. How the art world is keeping the spirit of the Belle Époque alive? We’ll take a look at a new exhibit at one of Britain’s finest museums.

13. Our favorite puppet fellow, Mr. Punch? As always, we’ll take a look at Mr. Punch’s influence on the arts and humanities. But, this week is all the more special as we celebrate Mr. Punch’s 349th birthday!

14. The Treat of the Week? Yes, however, this week’s will be something unexpected.

15. A Music Hall favorite? Saturday will bring a rare treat.

16. And much, much more? You bet! I’ve got some real surprises planned for this week.

So, there you have it. There’s a lot coming this week. I’m quite excited about all of it. Thanks for reading these many weeks!