Sigal Museum to Tell Vintage Toy Story

Long before the Furby, centuries before kids pitted Batman and Bane action figures against each other, there was Punch and Judy.

The violent/comic puppet show dates back to the 1500s and is still performed today.

You can see a set of these puppets starting Friday at the Sigal Museum as it begins its "Playtimes Past" exhibit.

"Taken from the collections of the Northampton County Historical & Genealogical Society, this exhibit offers adults and children a rare opportunity to experience childhood toys, games and activities from Victorian times to the early 1900s," the museum said in a news release.

The exhibit features vintage dolls, old sleds and skates, games such as jacks and dominoes, and the Punch & Judy puppets, complete with a theater. There's even a 1963 Dennis the Menace comic book set in Bethlehem.

"Playtimes Past" coincides with the Sigal's open house Friday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. For $2 -- kids under 12 get in free -- visitors can see the exhibit and watch a documentary on the history of the Easton Peace Candle.