About Don Sahlin
Lived 1928 – 1978 (aged 49). Don Sahlin was a designer.
Donald George Sahlin (June 19, 1928 – February 19, 1978) was a Muppet designer and builder who worked for Jim Henson from 1962 to 1977. Sahlin died in New York, possibly from a heart attack. Muppets creator Jim Henson described Sahlin as "the man most responsible for the look of the Muppets."
Sahlin began making puppets at age 11, initially building a shadow theater and cardboard figurines. As an adult he built several puppets for Kukla, Fran and Ollie and created special effects sequences for films such as G.I. Blues and The Time Machine. Henson later had a bench in London dedicated to his memory. The series finale of Fraggle Rock is also dedicated to him. After all the regular credits have been shown, a special credit appears which reads "This show is for Don Sahlin".
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Important facts
People in Don Sahlin's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Don Sahlin's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Don Sahlin?
Muppet designer
When was Don Sahlin born?
Don Sahlin was born on 19 June 1928 in Stratford.
When did Don Sahlin die?
Don Sahlin died on 19 February 1978 in New York City.
What was Don Sahlin's occupation?
Don Sahlin was a designer.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Don Sahlin. https://biography.guide/don-sahlin/
MLA: "Don Sahlin." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/don-sahlin/.
Chicago: "Don Sahlin." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/don-sahlin/.
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