The Barnum Museum

Bridgeport Connecticut served as the circus’ winter quarters during Barnum’s reign as the Greatest Showman on Earth. In 1892, just a year after Barnum’s death, the New York Times ran an article describing what a visit to the winter quarters – aptly called “Barnum-and-Bailey-Town” - entailed.  With 1,400 employees and 400 horses alone, the winter scene on today’s Went Field Park must have been overwhelming.

Driven to the winter quarters in a gold circus wagon drawn by ten snow-white Norman horses, the press corps entered a different world.  They were given a tour of the grounds starting with the Master of Transportation, Mr. B. V. Rose.  Seeing the 85 animal cars, ten sleeper cars, and Bailey’s personal Pullman car alone would have taken hours in this circus city.  After seeing the quarters, they were treated to performances by the trained animals and the fifty acrobats.

“After applauding the athletes the newspaper men went to the training quarters and there saw cats, dogs, geese, pigs, storks, sheep,monkeys, zebras, lions, tigers, hyenas, panthers, leopards, wolves, and about everything else that passed through the deluge with Noah…” (New York Times,March 8, 1892)

It is amazing to think of the sheer organization, planning, materials, and food that would have gone into housing such a multitude of different people and animals.  Without the internet to Google a quick remedy for an animal’s ailment, without reliable refrigeration or fast food, without a phone– or even walkie talkies – to communicate across the acres of noisy animals,this Barnum-and-Bailey-Town was a ‘greatest show on earth’ unto itself!

To General U.S. Grant, twice President of the United States, etc:

Thus starts a letter from PT Barnum to General Grant regarding the purchase and display of General Grant’s personal collection of relics. Written on January 12, 1885 this letter addressed Grant’s recent debt to Mr. W. H. Vanderbilt which threw him into financial “embarrassment” and poverty. Barnum wanted to offer Grant “fine income” off of the display of Grant’s war trophies and international mementos given to him during his time as President and over the course of his trip around the world.

PT Barnum had met Grant on multiple occasions and the two, from Barnum’s autobiography, seemed to enjoy a friendship. Barnum met with him after the Civil War and collected a hat from General Grant to put in his collection of famous individual’s chapeaux which the General had worn during multiple military campaigns. In his defense of the 15th Amendment speech before Congress, Barnum mentions Grant’s resolve during the Civil War. After his letter to Grant concerning his collection, Barnum writes that he visited the General soon afterwards and was “politely received”. And here at the Barnum Museum we have a copy of General Grant’s memoirs signed to Nancy Fish Barnum.

Unfortunately, as payment for his debts, all of Grant’s wealth and property went to Mr. Vanderbilt with the condition that the trophies and relics “should be lodged in some safe public place in Washington, where all could see them” after the General’s death. Barnum of course tried arguing that millions of people would regret that Barnum hadn’t showcased the historical relics in his Museum.

Pa-Ib is perhaps the Museum's oldest resident.  Having been donated to the Bridgeport Scientific Society in 1896, the mummy has been on display and a part of scientific inquiry ever since.  But she came here as a part of a love story...

In 1894, Mrs. PT Barnum, or rather Nancy Fish Barnum, was traveling for the first time since Phineas Taylor Barnum's death.  Her trip to Cairo would hot have been complete without a visit to the pyramids.  The Boston Journal reported that: "...She was climbing the Great Pyramid with the assistance of Arab helpers when one of the men slipped and fell.  Mrs. Barnum reeled backward and toppled over to what seemed certain death, but a stranger toiling up the pyramid 10 yards below caught the endangered lady in his arms.  It was the Bey." (Boston Morning News, August 9, 1895)

A quick and international romance began between Demetri Callian Bey, a man of great wealth from Constantinople, and Nancy Fish Barnum.  Some papers reporting on their marriage mentioned Nancy meeting him through the American consul at the same time she received her mummy and that it was "love at first sight".  Both individuals being of great wealth, the papers admitted that the marriage must have been for true love - not money. 

However, after a trip to the mansion PT Barnum built for Nancy in Bridgeport, it was decided that the couple would move abroad.  The reason for the move was explained in the papers like this: "[Bey] was pleased with the place and would have been contented to reside there but for the fact that a bronze statue of heroic size of the late P.T. Barnum is placed in the park directly in front of the house." (Trenton Evening Times, August 8, 1895) A bronze statue was placed at Seaside Park in honor of Barnum after his death, and Marina's front foor opened directly out to that park.  Apparently they did not want to live in the shadow of the Great Showman. 

Needless to say, Pa-Ib came to the United States with Nancy Fish Barnum after her Cairo love story adventure.  When the happy couple moved to Greece, the mummy was donated to the Bridgeport Scientific Society, along with many other PT Barnum artifacts, and housed here at the Barnum Museum.  If mummies could talk, I'm sure Pa-Ib would divulge the true details of the widow's Egyptian romance. 

Frederick Law Olmsted was born and buried in Hartford, Connecticut.  In his role as "father of landscape architecture" he transformed the cities of the Gilded Age through the use of public parks.  He felt the natural settings would improve the minds of those experiencing nature in the parks, that Americans would become happier, better adjusted and productive people if we had more exposure to nature. 

A decade before Olmsted's influential design of Central Park in New York City, Barnum was seeing the need for parks in the chaos of the urban world.  His ledger of letters from his 1845 European tour express this shared philosophy that parks provide health and well-being for city inhabitants. "Some distinguished individual has said that Regent's and Hyde Park are the lungs of London.  In building and improving our towns and cities in America, the "lungs" should never be forgotten.  They may be the means of annihilating disease and producing worlds of happiness."  While Barnum went on to create worlds of happiness through entertainment he did not abandon the idea of public parks. 

In late 1800s, PT Barnum donated land for Seaside Park in Bridgeport and Frederick Law Olmsted was hired to design the space.  Together, these two men helped give Bridgeport its moniker "Park City".  Later, Bridgeport would hire Olmsted again to design Beardsley Park.  The parks provide green space with romatic walkways and crafted waterfronts as an escape from the grim of the city, and a welcome resting point for visitors and inhabitants alike. 

In 1844, PT Barnum set across the 'pond' with Tom Thumb.  Their first stop was in Liverpool and then on to London.  In London, Barnum desperately wanted an audience with Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and set about making all the right connections and entertaining all the right guests.  Tom Thumb's performance at Princess's Theatre secured Barnum a fine fortune and a large following, as the London Illustrated News shows below.

Barnum made friends with the American Minister, the Baroness Rothschild, the Master of the Queen's Household, and numerous blood-aristocracy and successfully gained an invitation to perform before the Queen.  Barnum was instructed not to coach Tom Thumb on court formalities so that the Queen could interact with him "naturally and without restraint".  Barnum was required to follow protocol; however, he did manage personal conversation with Queen Victoria to the chagrin of the Lord in Waiting!

The illustration above shows the humorous incident that closed their first - of three - formal visits to the Queen in 1844.  Backing out of the room, as was customary, Barnum chose a pace that required Tom Thumb to turn and run every few moments to catch up.  This excited the Queen's "poodle-dog" and caused Tom Thumb to have to square off with the dog using his cane as a sword!  A small battle ensued and Queen Victoria was concerned for the well being of Tom Thumb.  PT Barnum assured her that the small performer was fine and over the course of his European tours he would continue to visit the Queen. 

"In the summer of 1878 my sister Minnie died at our home in Middleboro... It proved one of the greatest trials of my life to go again before the public without her, but it was the lifework marked out for me and I resumed it just as others resume their regular duties after an overwhelming grief.  Even now I do not find it easy to speak of it.  All my other sisters and brothers were normal size, and hence she and I were in a measure isolated from them and brought nearer each other." (The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb)

Three small infant gowns are in the Barnum Museum's collection and are attributed to the infant that died just hours after its mother, Minnie Warren, died in childbirth.  Minnie had married Edmund Newell, another performer of small stature known for rollerskating on stage.  Minnie became pregnant unlike her sister Lavinia who was married to the famous Tom Thumb.  Lavinia and Tom were known to pose with babies as a part of their publicity and advertising though they never had a child of their own.  These three little gowns are a somber reminder of the challenges life presented to women in the 19th century.

Curatorial Disclaimer: These items were found in a less than ideal state as seen in the photograph above.  Since this picture, they have been properly rehoused with new tissue and acid free boxes, as have the other textiles in this picture.

Even when you have inventoried a collection of artifacts, something always surprises you.  One of the friendly challenges our director, Kathy Maher, gave me when I embarked upon the inventory was to find something she'd never seen.  She had worked extensively with the collection as our curator and director so I thought it was a  challenge I would never meet.  Until yesterday. 

P.T. Barnum co-authored a series of children's books on his circus, museum, and menagerie in 1888.  These books can be found to cover just one of those topics or any number of combinations.  This particular book caught my attention as I was preparing a loan.  Struck by its wonderful condition I opened the cover and there was Barnum's signature. 

The reason this signature is special, attention worthy, and challenge winning, is that it shows P.T. Barnum donating to the Fairfield County Historical Society BEFORE he commissioned the building of The Barnum Museum which was to house the Historical Society!  This book is an original part of the Museum's collection - it has been here 118 years!

It is a wonderful historical document - depicting Barnum's circus as it was in 1888 including the lithograph below of the circus at its winter quarters here in Bridgeport.  And it is also a beautiful reminder of P.T. Barnum's constant interest in and support of the city of Bridgeport. 

Tom Thumb received the royal treatment when he visited London and performed before Queen Victoria.  In fact, a carriage was "manufactured by order of the Queen Victoria, of England, and presented by her Majesty to the little General", according to a biography of Tom Thumb published in 1849 after his European tour.  Not only was it elaborately decorated and furnished, but the Queen presented him with ponies and two boys to serve as his Coachman and Footman!

The Barnum Museum has two of Tom Thumb's many carriages in its Collection.  One of which was on display in the first floor gallery where the windows were blown out by the tornado and where the debris that was brought in with the wind acted like fine sandpaper across every surface.  While some of the damage seen in the "before" photograph below is previous to the tornado, any painted surface suffered hydrothermal shock - a drastic change in temperature and humidity that greatly affects surfaces likely to retain moisture.  Paint literately fell off surfaces on the carriage to the display platform below. 

This carriage has been a focus of Chris Augerson, a carriage conservator who worked on the gilded carriages of Louis XIV at Versailles in Paris.  His work has been painstaking.  A basic tenet of conservation is that every treatment must be reversible.  So, for example, the carriage's wheels were coated with a thin layer of varnish before infill painting was done.  In the future, as the science of artifact conservation changes, the paint can be removed without injury to the carriage itself if necessary.  The beautiful result can be seen below!  The textiles on the carriage including the red velvet interior and burgundy coachman's seat are still awaiting treatment. 

In late September of 1844, the "Litchfield Enquirer" ran an ad for the American Museum in New York City.  PT Barnum's museum was advertised to have "six splendid halls over 100 feet in length, containing upwards of 500,00 curiosities from every portion of the Globe."  He specifically advertises "Dwarfs, Giants, Ourang Outangs" and his bi-weekly performances by the "most talented performers".  We often wonder what it would have been like to step into his early museum and experience all that Barnum's imagination had to offer. 

In our collection we have the 1849 "Sights and Wonders" booklet which is a story of an Uncle's visit to the American Museum with two boys.  The language is just fascinating, historically appropriate though scientifically questionable, so read the text below and let your imagination do the work!

"Now, then, for a few minutes to look at the Indian curiosities - weapons of war, clubs, canoes, dagger, &c. - among which is the dagger used by Osceola, the celebrated Seminole chief, in Florida.  And here is the coat-of-arms worn by the army of William the Conqueror, upon his invasion of England."

"The next attraction presenting itself to their notice was the camelopard, or giraffe.  Uncle Find-out told them that it was a native of Africa; when full grown its height is about twenty-two feet - its skin is a beautiful spotted brown upon a white ground.  Its favorite food is the leaf of the acacia and ash tree."

"Uncle Find-out next informed them that the ferocious-looking animal represented below was the sea-lion of the Falkland Islands, and that it was extremely savage in its nature. 

"This animal appears to be a seal, is it not, uncle?"

"Yes it is the common seal, or sea-calf, of North America."

"True, I remember the fur of some seals is used for caps, coat-collars, and other purposes."

The brochure finishes up with a glowing review of Mr. PT Barnum himself and all that he has acheived in life thus far.  The Uncle reminds the boys of Barnum's virtues in business and his morals in life then closes with:

Jenny Lind celebrated her 191st birthday this week and we should too even though her name is largely unknown in American culture - except for those of us who have shopped for a crib.  Yet there is a reason her name graces streets, buildings, hospitals, and schools across the globe. 

When Jenny Lind arrived in the United States for her inaugural concert in 1850, she was already a well known operatic star in Europe.  What Lind did to perpetuate her name influenced P.T. Barnum, the master advertising himself.  At every venue, town, and concert she performed across the world, Jenny Lind would donate part of the evening's proceeds to charities within the host city.  She donated to start a music scholarship in Sweden and a children"s hospital in England.  In the United States, she donated to help fund the fire department in New York City and churches in Chicago.  Her generosity to her host cities garnered her more fame and well wishes than Barnum himself could have drummed up with his broadsides, publications, and newspaper ads. 

Many of the institutions she funded are still in existence today.  The Jenny Lind Infirmary for Sick Children in Norwich England, established in 1853, is now a part of the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals.  "The Jenny" was the second children's hospital in that country!  Jenny Lind dontaed $1,500 to a Swedish Lutheran church in Andover, Illinois for the construction of its building which had been halted so the church could act as a hospital for the community during a cholera epidemic. Later meetings at the Jenny Lind Chapel percipitated the forming of Augustana College and the Augsburg College and Seminary. 

Jenny Lind's acts of charity prompted P.T. Barnum to take up his choice cause - temperance - in the cities they toured.  He gave lectures on the evils of alcohol in Boston, Philadelphia, St. Louis,  and New Orleans.  Imploring people to sign a temperance pledge with his usual gusto, Barnum secured many new teetotalers across the country.  Jenny Lind's generosity, however, secured the health and well being of many social service institutions, winning her a populace that was so enthralled with her that products bearing her name - like the Jenny Lind crib - sold like hot cakes.