The Stamp Collectors Corner

The Punch and Judy puppet show can be traced back as far as the 16th century.  Originally of Italian roots, the marionette show made their debut in London, England in 1662.  It did not take long for the show, which was originally geared towards adult audiences, to become very popular among the crowds.  As word spread of this whimsical puppet show, many other regional variations of the popular pair were produced throughout Europe.  The show features Punch, who is known for his outrageous and sometimes aggressive behavior, and his wife Judy, the sensible character.

In the 18th century, The Punch and Judy show could be found in taverns, halls, and large tents.  You could often find sizeable crowds gathered at the tell-tale red and white striped puppet booths waiting for the Punch and Judy show at seaside resorts throughout England.  It did not take long for the show to cross over the Atlantic and grace England’s American colonies.  It was so popular that even George Washington is said to have bought a ticket to see the show! 

In September of 2001, Great Britain issued a set of commemorative postage stamps to pay tribute to the much loved characters that have provided hundreds of years of entertainment to countless amounts of people.  If you would like to add the Punch and Judy postage stamps to your collection, contact Stamp Center today.  We offer free shipping to our US customers and $4.50 flat rate shipping to our international customers.