The Work of Ralph Chesse

 

Ralph Chesse was an artist whose work spanned almost all of the 20th century. Before 1950, mostly painted African-American figures recalling his boyhood in New Orleans. He also became a self-taught Marionettist. He carved puppets and enacted everything from Shakespeare to Marionette kits for kids. In 1953, he was asked to create a children's nature show and created The Wonderful World of Brother Buzz. That show became the longest running children's TV show in San Francisco history. It ran from 1953 to 1969:

A Marionette of the singer Tiny Tim

And the Brother Buzz crew:

Ralph Chesse continued to do art until he passed away at age 91. In my view, he was a true art genius. The San Francisco Public Library did a great job in telling his story.