Aardman Animations celebrates 50 years with landmark puppet auction

To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Aardman Animations is holding a landmark auction featuring over 220 lots of original puppets and memorabilia. The collection, curated by the studio’s creative talent, includes iconic characters such as Wallace, Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, and Morph. Notable items include puppets used in the 2024 adventure ‘Vengeance Most Fowl’ and models of Morph and Chas created by co-founder Peter Lord.

Bidding for the auction, run by Propstore, begins on September 4 and concludes on September 24. Each lot starts at £100, offering collectors a chance to own pieces of the studio’s history. The sale includes items ranging from original Nick Park sketches to puppets from upcoming productions like ‘Shaun The Sheep: The Beast Of Mossy Bottom’.

Aardman’s history is marked by significant creative milestones, including the development of Wallace and Gromit by Nick Park. Originally, Gromit was envisioned as a cat, but the character was changed to a dog due to modeling difficulties. The studio’s success eventually led to major collaborations, such as the production of ‘Chicken Run’ with Steven Spielberg and DreamWorks.