Did you know Muppets creator Jim Henson got married in Salisbury? Here's the story.
Kermit the Frog may have never stepped foot in Salisbury, Maryland, but his creator, Jim Maury Henson, once did.
Henson (1936-1990) was a renowned American puppeteer, television pioneer, cartoonist, animator, actor, inventor and filmmaker, most notably known for his creation of the beloved Muppets. The very term "Muppets," a fusion of marionettes and puppets, was invented by him.
On May 28, 1959, well into his fame, Jim and his bride, Jane Nebel, stood together in a tux and a gown at Jane's parents' home at 301 Powell Ave. in Salisbury. There, an intimate wedding ceremony, performed by the Rev. Stanley Jenkins of Washington, D.C., took place, and the couple became husband and wife.
Jim was 24 years-old and Jane 22 when the couple was wed.
"After a brief wedding trip, Mr. and Mrs. Henson will make their home in Bethesda," said the newlywed's 1959 marriage announcement in the Salisbury Daily Times. The couple did, in fact, move to Bethesda and remained there from 1959 to 1963.
Jane's father, Adalbert Nebel, was a magazine writer, according to The Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture at Salisbury University. He also published an article detailing the various ways in which the state of Maryland was unique among all in the Union on Sept. 20, 1956, in the Salisbury Daily Times.
Adalbert and his wife, Winifred, lived at their home at 301 Powell Ave., now known as Powell St., from 1955-1960 when they sold it.
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Jane was a graduate of the University of Maryland, which Jim had been attending at the time of their marriage.
As a freshman at the University of Maryland, Jim, with the help of his assistant and then future wife, Jane, was given his own twice-daily, five-minute show, "Sam and Friends." The television program was broadcast from the station WRCTV, Washington, and featured an early version of Kermit the Frog.
Kermit, who debuted in 1955, was first seen as a lizard-like creature before being labeled as a frog. The prototype Kermit was created from a turquoise ladies' coat that Henson's mother had thrown into a waste bin, and two ping pong balls for eyes, reported the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
After their marriage, Jim and Jane went on to build their puppet studio in the basement of their first home in Bethesda. The twosome continues to live on through The Jim Henson Company, an American entertainment company located in Los Angeles, California, and founded by the Hensons.
Baltimore exhibit celebrates all things Henson
For a show that explores all things Jim Henson, everything from "The Muppets" and "Sesame Street" to "Fraggle Rock" and "The Dark Crystal," visit the Maryland Center for History and Culture.
The museum's "The Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unlimited" is on display through Dec. 30 and features a variety of original puppets and other memorabilia from throughout Henson's career. It's located at 610 Park Ave.
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Olivia Minzola covers communities on the Lower Shore. Contact her with tips and story ideas at ominzola@delmarvanow.com.
This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Check this out: Muppets creator Jim Henson got married in Salisbury