Henson closes NY office

[Rugby]

So when I get my job with JHC, I'll have to move to CA then? It's sad to see the end of an era come to pass though.

 

[FISH'N'WOLFE]

Actually, no. Henson still builds the Sesame Street Muppets. All non-Sesame characters and materials were sent to LA during the move from the workshop.

Wow, I didn't know that all the non-SS Muppets had been moved to L.A. when they downsized.

 

[Phillip]

It's official, the Henson townhouse is up for sale for $13.9 million...

http://www.muppetcentral.com/news/2003/120503.shtml

I've been told that Henson will try to carefully preserve all the Muppety touches throughout the building including the mural, hand-carved desk, stained glass and all the other Henson furnishings and memorabilia.

 

[BoyRaisin2]

And I dreamed of maybe working there one day...the end of an era. Now history IS history. Well, the BUILDING anyway.

 

[Beebers]

FISH'N'WOLFE thought he'd work there someday, too, having now waited a year and a half since they sent their audition letter to him. (He's pursuing his own puppetry meantime, but still . . . it's all extremely uncool.)

I think all of us at MC should chip in what we can and buy the blasted building.
Beauregard, it's time to lead another battle.

This is terrible.

 

[Phillip]

Without any doubt, there is a lot of history and memories in the building, but the Muppets existed before 117 and they will continue afterwards. I'm sure the mural and some of the other elements may see the light of day in LA or even possibly at another venue at some point down the line in the future.

While we all can get sentimental about a building (or even our homes for that matter), it's the people inside that make it really special. The company is in the process of getting themselves in the best possible financial situation in the post 9-11 world we live in.

 

[AndyWan Kenobi]

Wow. This just makes me sad. If it's a step toward the long-term future success of the company, though, so be it. It still makes me sad...

 

[Fozzie Bear]

I'm not so much worried about the building as I am about what they'll do regarding that awesome mural on the wall, or the architecture in the building that had sculptings/moldings of Muppets.

Anybody know?

 

[Luke]

Phil is right - they are planning to strip the place before they move out - murals and all. I guess most of the stuff will go into the Henson Archive with some being displayed at the Chaplin studios. The Henson's have saved everything they can right back from Jim's early days so they aren't about to stop now.

I would expect this level of company streamlining would have happened whether the Henson kids bought back JHC or some big player like Disney got it, but it is a shame for them to lose both London and New York so soon. It is right that it's not so much about where the work is done but more importantly that it gets done. However they do lose some opportunities and stature from centralizing (especially with London and all that great pre-school work being done) but what they lose there will hopefully be made up by a much more financially stable and more strategic Henson in LA so they can (maybe) make it through any slumps without having to sell again or anything drastic like that.

 

[Zack the Dog]

Yeah this is sad, but remember what Kermit said about the Muppet theater in IAVMMCM, That it's just a building, it's the people that count! but I do hope the Muppety touches to the building could be safely moved....to my house... Well i really mean to CA.