Virtual Exhibitions

One of my favorite objects in the Museum is a carbon ledger that contains letters PT Barnum wrote as a 'foreign correspondent' while traveling Europe with Tom Thumb.  The ledger provides us with Barnum's handwriting, his writing style, his humor, and his mastery of story telling.  These letters served as the basis of much of his autobiography but there are interesting differences.  In a few of the stories, Barnum crossed out 'they' and inserted 'we' - he wrote himself into history!  Ever the showman he knew what would make for entertaining stories and for good business.  His autobiographs are so wonderfully informative and amusing they are a good read even today.

-Melissa Houston, Registrar