For the first time ever, the Jim Henson Company is putting a treasure trove of props, costumes, artwork, and more of its cinematic legacy up for auction to the public.
The beloved production company is celebrating 70 years with this massive sale curated by Julien’s Auctions. So if you’re a Henson fan looking to get your hands on Muppety cinema history, your chance to nab screen-used grails starts Tuesday, November 25th. Online signups for the event at the Jim Henson Company Studios lot are now open, but the full catalogue has yet to be revealed.
From the press release, we know it will feature over 80 handmade puppets with an array of pieces from productions such as The Muppet Movie, Muppet Treasure Island, The Muppet Christmas Carol, Fraggle Rock, Labyrinth, Farscape, The Hoobs, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, and more available for bidding. Look at some of the Henson props, costumes, set pieces, memorabilia, and puppets up for grabs in the gallery below.
In addition to physical pieces of movie and television history within the auction’s 400 lots, there will be artwork by the late Caroll Spinney available. Nine original artworks from the vault will be available from the legendary Sesame Street puppeteer behind Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, who illustrated so many of the beloved PBS and Henson characters for publications and children’s books.
Fans of Brian Henson’s Muppet Treasure Island and The Muppet Christmas Carol will no doubt be fiercely competing for that treasure map and those historical figure busts. If I had extra spending money, I’d be down to fight for my life with a paddle to win the bid on that noseless Shakespeare.
It’s just astounding that so many things that belong in a museum can now be brought home. Thankfully a lot of the original Jim Henson puppets and priceless archival studio pieces are on tour with the Jim Henson exhibition, or on permanent display at the Academy Museum and the Jim Henson Gallery at the Center for Puppetry Arts.
The timing of the auction is an interesting one, as the Muppets themselves are gearing up for the 50th Anniversary of The Muppet Show. Kermit, Miss Piggy, and friends are poised to make a return with a reboot special of its iconic variety-style program featuring Sabrina Carpenter, which is coming next year on Disney+.
Additionally, the characters will be moving into a coaster attraction at Walt Disney World after Muppet*Vision 3D closed at Hollywood Studios. But don’t worry, they aren’t entirely in limbo, as you can have fun with the Muppet Labs booth at Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival featuring Bunsen and Beaker. So despite the apprehension from the old literally being cleared out, we hope that it’s all in service of making way for the Muppets to raise the curtain on a bright, new, sensational, inspirational, celebrational, Muppetational era.
For more information on the Jim Henson Company’s 70th Anniversary Auction, visit Julien’s Auctions, where you can sign up to bid.