#6: The Original Kermit the Frog

Kermit the Frog is one of the most well-known puppets in the world. Most of us can hear his signature voice by simply looking at a photo of the famous green guy. This photo is of the very first version of Kermit the Frog, created by Jim Henson in 1955. The original Kermit was crafted out of Jim Henson’s mother’s old spring coat and a leg of Henson’s blue jeans. 

The original Kermit lives in the National Museum of American History’s collection. He looks a little worse for wear, but his cute essence remains the same. Henson’s craftsmanship extended to Kermit’s eyes, which were made out of ping-pong balls. This puppet was used in the original puppet cast of Sam and Friends, a short lead-in to The Tonight Show that aired between 1955 and 1961.