1904
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Bil
Baird was
born in Grand Island, Nebraska. His father was a chemical
engineer
and his mother was an Oberlin graduate and pianist.
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1918
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The Baird family
moved to Mason City, Iowa
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1921
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Baird saw Tony
Sarg’s “Rip Van Winkle” performed in Mason City and became interested
in puppetry.
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1922
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Graduated from
Mason City High School, Mason City, Iowa
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1926
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Graduated from
the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
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1926-1927
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Bil Baird
studied theater arts, interior decorating and life sketching at the
Chicago Academy of Fine Arts
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1927
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Baird moved to
Paris and played accordion in cafés at night and sketched during
the day.
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1928
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He moved to New
York City and began working with Tony Sarg, the leading puppeteer of
that time.
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1934
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Baird formed his
own company located at 50 Barrow St. in New York
City and had his first performance at Chicago’s World’s Fair.
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1937
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Bil Baird
married Cory Burlur and began a family and successful career
together.
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1940’s & 50’s
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The Baird
Marionettes gained international acclaim performing
in nightclubs, on Broadway, in Hollywood, on television and for
audiences
all over the country.
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1958
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Baird was
nominated for an Emmy for the television special “Art Carney Meets
Peter and the Wolf”.
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1962
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The United
States State Department sent Bil Baird and Company on a
seventeen-week tour of India, Nepal and Afghanistan performing "Davy
Jones’
Locker” and a series of Bil Baird variety shows.
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1962
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As a result of
the successful 1962 tour, the Company was sent on a ten-week tour of
Russian cities.
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1964-1965
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Bil Baird’s
marionettes performed in the World’s Fair in New York City.
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1964-1965
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Bil Baird’s
puppets appear in the “goatherd scene” in the film, “The Sound of
Music”.
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1965
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The first prints
of Baird’s book, “The Art of the Puppet” was released
which drew inspiration from his travels and contacts with leading
puppeteers
of the world.
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1967
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Cora Baird died.
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1967
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Baird’s
six-story puppet theater and workshop opened at 59 Barrow
St. in New York’s Greenwich Village. It became the center of his
many puppet
activities and won an Outer Circle Award.
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1970
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The exhibit,
“Retrospective of Baird’s Work” opened at Lincoln Center Library in New
York City.
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1975
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The fifth float
designed by Bil Baird appeared in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in
New York City.
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1976
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The first
exhibit of Bil Baird’s work was displayed at the Charles H. MacNider
Art Museum in Mason City, Iowa.
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1977-1978
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Baird created
the music and lyrics for “Once Upon a Dragon” which
opened in the 1500 seat house at Busch Gardens, Williamsburg, Virginia.
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1980
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Baird received
the Medal of Achievement given by the LOTOS Club of New York City.
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1980
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“Bill Baird and
Friends Exhibit,” highlighting the life and career
of Bil Baird opens at the Theater Collection, Museum of the City of New
York
City.
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1980
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UNIMA (Union
International de la Marionette) and puppeteers of America
honor Baird, Burr Tillstom, Shari Lewis and Jim Hensen at the 13th
World
Puppetry Festival in a performance at Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C.
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1981
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“Bil Baird:
World of Puppets” a permanent collection gallery opened at the Charles
H. MacNider Art Museum.
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1983
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Bil Baird and
Margo Rose, another noted puppeteer (native of Storm
Lake, Iowa) was honored at the Brunnier Gallery, Iowa State University,
Ames,
Iowa on the occasion of the 44th National Festival of the Puppeteers of
America.
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1985
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Baird received
the Distinguished Alumni Award for the University of Iowa, Iowa City,
Iowa.
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1986
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An exhibit of
Bil Baird’s Puppets from the Charles H. MacNider Art Museum
in Mason City, Iowa was featured in the Cultural Center at the Iowa
State
Fair in Des Moines, Iowa.
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1987
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Bil Baird died
in March of this year in New York City.
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1988
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“The Bil Baird
Memorial Exhibit” opened at the Charles H. MacNider Art Museum, Mason
City, Iowa.
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