Anthony "Tony" Frederick Sarg (April 21, 1880 – March 7, 1942) was a German-American puppeteer and illustrator who was described as "America's Puppet Master" and the father of modern puppetry in North America.
History with the Macy's Parade[]
Sarg's career in the Parade began in 1927, when he designed six floats for that year's Parade. In 1928, he and his protégé Bil Baird designed and built tethered helium-filled balloons up to 125 feet (40 m) long, resembling animals, for the 1928 Parade. This work involved a number of puppetry-related principles. In 1935, he undertook the puppet-related work of designing Macy's elaborate animated window display, which was shown between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Sarg would continue to serve as chief balloon designer of the Parade upto 1941, when the event was temporarily suspended following the Pearl Harbour attack just over two weeks later; Sarg would pass away three months later from complications arising from a surgery for a ruptured appendix, at age 61.
List of Sarg's Parade Designs[]
Giant Balloons[]
- Big Turk by Macy's (1928)
- Wobbly Head by Macy's (1928)
- Goldfish by Macy's (1928)
- Sky Tiger by Macy's (1928)
- Giantess by Macy's (1928)
- Early Bird by Macy's (1928)
- Humming Bird by Macy's (1928)
- Sky Elephant by Macy's (1928)
- Horse and Rider by Macy's (1929)
- Lap Dog by Macy's (1929)
- The Katzenjammer Kids by King Features (1929)
- The Turk by Macy's (1929)
- The Inspector by King Features (1929)
- Gobble the Turkey by Macy's (1929)
- Old Man Dragon by Macy's (1929)
- Joe Jinks by The New York World (1930)
- Boob McNutt by Macy's (1930)
- Benny by Macy's (1930)
- Barney Google by King Features (1930)
- The Goops by Macy's (1930)
- Hippopotamus by Macy's (1931)
- Tom Cat by Macy's (1931)
- Cat by Macy's (1931)
- Two-Headed Giant by Macy's (1931)
- Tiamat the Dragon by Macy's (1931)
- Fritz the Dachshund by Macy's (1932)
- Jerry the Pig by Macy's (1932)
- Andy the Alligator by Macy's (1932)
- Felix the Cat by Macy's (1932)
- George the Giant Drum Major by Macy's (1932)
- Willie Red Bird by Macy's (1932)
- Tom the Cat by Macy's (1933)
- Gulliver the Gullible by Macy's (1933)
- Head Balloon by Macy's (1933)
- The Colicky Kid by Macy's (1933)
- Rabbit by Macy's (1933)
- Mickey Mouse by Disney Enterprises (1934, along with Walt Disney)
- Practical Pig by Disney Enterprises (1934, along with Walt Disney)
- Pluto by Disney Enterprises (1934, along with Walt Disney)
- Eddie Cantor by United Artists (1934)
- Horace Horsecollar by Disney Enterprises (1934, along with Walt Disney)
- The Big Bad Wolf by Disney Enterprises (1934, along with Walt Disney)
- Indian by Macy's (1935)
- Donald Duck by Disney Enterprises (1935, along with Walt Disney)
- Turkey by Macy's (1935)
- Harpo Marx by Macy's (1935)
- Morton the Nantucket Sea Monster by Macy's (1936)
- The Two-Headed Pirate by Macy's (1936)
- Father Knickerbocker by Macy's (1936)
- Officer SOS 13 by Macy's (1937)
- The Man On The Flying Trapeze by Macy's (1937)
- Pinocchio by Macy's (1937)
- The Christmas Stocking by Macy's (1937)
- Ferdinand the Bull by Munro Leaf (1938, along with J.F. Cooper)
- The Tin Man by Metro Goldwyn Mayer (1939)
- Santa Claus by Macy's (1939)
- Hippopotamus by Macy's (1940)
- Laffo the Clown/Clarence the Clown by Macy's (1940)
- Superman by Detective Comics, Inc. (1940)
- Elephant by Macy's (1941)
- Goldfish by Macy's (1941)
- Sea Serpent by Macy's (1941)
Floats[]
- Dinosaur by Macy's (1927)
- Little Piggies That Went to the Market by Macy's (1927)
- Puppet Show by Macy's (1927)
- Robinson-Crusoe Desert Island by Macy's (1927)
- Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf by Macy's (1927)
- Christmas Tree by Macy's (1927)
- Santa's Sleigh by Macy's (1928, 1929, 1930, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1941)
- The Old Lady Who Lived in a Shoe by Macy's (1936)
- Jack the Giant Killer by Macy's (1936, 1940)
- Humpty Dumpty by Macy's (1936)
- The Cow That Jumped Over the Moon by Macy's (1936)