Heritage Auctioneers & Valuers will offer a remarkable collection devoted to the enduring world of Punch & Judy, magic and children’s entertainment as part of its three-day auction from 27–29 September 2026.
The collection of Punch and Judy man, actor and children’s entertainer Frank Turvey (Frank) – known professionally as Professor Mystral and Mister Magipatch – will form a major part of the sale on Tuesday 29 September.
More than 400 lots of Punch & Judy material will be offered, alongside over 50 lots relating to magic, performance and costume. Built up over many years, the collection encompasses both the history of Punch & Judy and the working life of a professional entertainer.
Among the extraordinary variety are Punch & Judy booths and puppets, hand puppets, postcards, Victorian scraps, advertising ware, crested china, brassware, figurines, Hantel Victorian Miniatures, original paintings and original theatrical props. There are also unusual pieces of Punch & Judy-related glass, including uranium glass, together with costumes and material associated with Turvey’s performing characters.
The collection is particularly interesting because it is not simply an assemblage of Punch memorabilia. Many pieces have a direct connection with Frank’s career and his performances as Professor Mystral and Mister Magipatch.
Frank Turvey, ALAM, Cert Ed. (Member BPMTG, UNIMA), developed an interest in acting while at Drax Grammar School in Yorkshire and Prince Henry’s Grammar School, Evesham, appearing in productions including Under Milk Wood and The Pirates of Penzance. He continued acting at Boston College, including a production of Hotel Paradiso, before furthering his theatrical studies in Manchester.
While in Manchester, Frank and fellow performers formed a travelling educational drama group, taking productions into schools around the country. When changes in government funding made it necessary to broaden his repertoire, he turned to a much older British theatrical tradition – and became a Punch and Judy “Professor”.
Based in Cardiff, Professor Mystral developed his own Punch and Judy entertainment, acquiring and making props to professional standards. Magic and children’s entertainment subsequently became part of the act under the banner Professor Mystral’s Juvenile Omnibus.
As Mister Magipatch, he also presented Magical Madness Colour Capers, starring “Mick the Magic Rabbit”.
The breadth of the collection reflects this lifetime of performance. Traditional Punch and Judy characters sit alongside magic apparatus, costumes, theatrical ephemera and commercially produced Punch-related collectables ranging from ceramics and metalware to miniature figures.
For collectors of puppetry, folk entertainment, magic and theatrical history, the auction presents an unusual opportunity to acquire pieces from a collection assembled by someone who was himself part of the tradition.
The Frank Turvey Punch & Judy and Magic Collection
Tuesaday 29th September 2026 10am
Part of the Heritage Auctioneers & Valuers three-day auction, 27–29 September 2026
Heritage Auctioneers & Valuers, Teal Park, Turnstone Road, Lincoln, LN6 3UA
For more details call 01522 690444
Click to view the lots at heritageauctioneers.co.uk
