The story of Henry “Box” Brown

Shadow puppets of Henry "Box" Brown coming out of the box surrounded by William Still and his friends in 1849, based on an illustration used in William Still's book "The Underground Railroad"

Black history

The story of Henry “Box” Brown

July 19, 2026July 24, 2026

Earlier versions were published in March, 2019 and February, 2020 On March 23, 1849, months after his wife and children were sold to a new owner, Henry Brown escaped slavery in Richmond, Virginia in a

Back of a shadow puppetry screen with scrolling transparent film depicting the opening scenes of the story of Henry "Box" Brown

American history

A teacher’s “hard history” project continued from home

April 11, 2020February 21, 2021

In the past two years I have been fortunate to work with 5th grade teacher Davie-Lyn Jones. We explored shadow puppetry as an interactive way to teach about the “hard history” topic of slavery, using

Tricks and Techniques

Riding a horse and wagon

February 9, 2020September 11, 2022

If you want to act out stories from the Underground Railroad or other stories in which puppets need transportation, you may want to use a horse and wagon. In our printable library you will find

Black history