Greeks in Australia

Request from onsite storage

Licensed as All Rights Reserved

1920 to 1950

Summary Alternative Name(s): bill poster This is a copy of a poster used between the 1920s-1950s to advertise a performance in Athens of the centuries-old Greek Shadow Puppet Theatre (Karaghiozis) tradition. Dimitri Katsoulis brought posters from Greece in the early 1990s; the originals are held in a museum collection in Greece. Dimitri Katsoulis migrated to Australia in 1974 to escape a regime that repressed Greek artists. He had trained in Greece with theatre and film companies as an actor and technician. Unable to obtain funding and support, he returned to Greece in 1991, leaving his entire collection to the people of Victoria. It includes 32 shadow puppets and around 170 props, set backdrops and technical tools and stage equipment. Dimitri has since returned to Melbourne and assists the Museum to continue to document this rich art form within both local and international contexts. The Greek Shadow puppeteers had this type of advertising poster as part of their puppeteering kit when they were doing tours in various parts of Greece. The name of the theatre or hall and the first performance date were written in by hand. On the other half of the poster is an image of Karaghiozis. The puppet from which this image was produced was carved out of cardboard to make a stencil. This particular imge of Karaghiozis belongs to the Puppeteer Antoni Molla. (every puppeteer gave his Karaghiozis puppet his own distinctive characteristics. Here he is holding a flower as well as one of his favourite objects, his beloved watering can with which he beats people or protects himself. Here he is hiding it behind his back. On this half of the poster the ticket price is also written by hand.The printed text announces the arrival of puppeteer Frixos’ Shadow Puppet Theatre in a Greek town. The performances will be held in the theatre ‘Stella’ from 9 July and there will be double shows daily, in the afternoon and evening. Frixos will present all the Satirical World Events. Furthermore, he will also sing eastern/oriental and folk songs and the puppets are in colour. Information supplied by Greek Shadow Puppet Theatre master Dimitri Katsoulis, 2007. Physical Description A poster, screen printed in red and black ink on off-white cardboard, advertising a performance of the Karaghiozis puppet theatre. The text is all in Greek and is illustrated with a red picture of Karaghiozis carrying a watering can. Some details relating to date, time of performance, and price) have been added in blue felt-tip pen. Significance This collection of puppets, props, stage sets, and technical tools and equipment relating to traditional Greek Shadow Puppet Theatre is unique in Australia and rare in international public collections. The history of Greek Shadow Puppet Theatre, its puppet characters and the methodology of its performance has been recorded in partnership with the puppet master to whom the collection belonged. The collection is highly significant both as documentation of an important cross-cultural, centuries-old art form, and as an example of the transnational migration of cultural activity between Greece and Australia. It is a collection which was created and performed in Greece and Australia from the mid to late twentieth century, by two puppet masters, who transported the tradition between two countries. Abraam Antonakos came to Australia in 1977 to perform the puppet theatre and then deposited the puppets with Dimitri Katsoulis, who had migrated to Australia in 1974. Dimitri’s story becomes one of migration experience, cultural maintenance and adaptation, and finally return migration and the discontinuance of this cultural art form in Australia.

Posters

2023-06-07