Tony Sarg
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Robot - Moving category Deaths of peritonitis to Deaths from peritonitis per [[WP:CFD|CFD]] at [[Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2008 June 21]].
'''Anthony Frederick Sarg''' ([[April 21]], [[1880]] - [[February 17]], [[1942]]), known professionally as '''Tony Sarg''', was a [[German American]] [[puppeteer]] and illustrator, described as "America's Puppet Master", and
in his biography as the father of modern puppetry in North America.
Sarg was born in [[Cobán]], [[Guatemala]], to Francis Charles Sarg, and his wife, Mary Elizabeth Parker. The elder Sarg was a [[consul]] representing [[Germany]]; Parker was [[England|English]].
The family returned to the [[German Empire]] in 1887; Sarg entered a military academy at age 14 and received a commission as [[lieutenant]] at 17; in 1905 (in his mid-20s) he resigned his commission and took up residence in the [[United Kinggdom of Great Britain and Ireland]], where he pursued a relationship with Bertha Eleanor McGowan, an American he had met when she was a tourist in Germany. They were married in her hometown of [[Cincinnati, Ohio|Cincinnati]], [[Ohio]], January 20th, 1909, and returned to England where their daughter Mary was born two years later. In 1914, with the start of [[World War I]], he sent Bertha and the children to Cincinnati, followed them soon after, and settled the family in [[New York City]] in 1915. He had been raised around [[puppets]], inherited his grandmother's collection of them, developed them as a hobby that enhanced the impression he made on other artists, and finally in 1917 turned them into a profession. In [[1920]], he became a [[naturalized citizen]] of the [[United States]].
In 1928, he designed, and his protege [[Bil Baird]] built tethered [[helium]]-filled [[balloon]]s up to 125 feet (40 m) long, resembling animals, for the New York institution of [[Macy's]] department store, involving a number issues familiar from puppetry; these participated in the store's [[Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade|Thanksgiving Day parade]]. In 1935, he undertook the puppet-related work of designing Macy's elaborate animated window display between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
The pinnacle of Sarg's visibility was at the [[Century of Progress|1933 Chicago World's Fair]], where his cumulative audience was 3 million; Baird was heavily involved in this production, as were [[Rufus Rose|Rufus]] and [[Margo Rose]]. Those three left his studio that year to start a new one themselves.
Sarg no longer innovated as much as competing puppet studios, and his economic fortunes declined as others gained a following; he both went into [[bankruptcy]], and mounted his last production, in 1939.
In mid-February of 1942, Sarg had [[surgery]] for a [[ruptur]]ed [[vermiform appendix|appendix]], and died three weeks later of [[peritonitis|complication]]s arising from it.
== External links ==
* {{gutenberg author| id=Tony+Sarg | name=Tony Sarg}}
[[Category:1880 births|Sarg, Anthony Frederick]]
[[Category:1942 deaths|Sarg, Anthony Frederick]]
[[Category:People from Cobán|Sarg, Anthony Frederick]]
[[Category:German-Americans|Sarg, Anthony Frederick]]
[[Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States|Sarg, Tony]]
[[Category:Deaths from peritonitis|Sarg, Anthony Frederick]]
[[de:Tony Sarg]]