#ptbarnum

[gadawg-404]

P.T. Barnum

July 5, 1810

Promoter and showman P.T. Barnum (1810-1891) was born in Bethel, Connecticut. His American Museum opened in 1842, exhibiting unusual acts such as the Feejee Mermaid, Siamese Twins Chang and Eng, and General Tom Thumb. In 1871, Barnum opened "The Greatest Show on Earth" in Brooklyn, New York. He later merged with rival J.A. Bailey to form the Barnum and Bailey Circus. Many of his quotes are still in common use today.

[yatescountyhistorycenter]

Running away to join the circus

By Jonathan Monfiletto

When the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (i.e., the Mormon church – who consider it one of their missions to serve as the keepers of any and all genealogical information and documents from around the United States of America, as complete and thorough as possible) writes to you in a letter stating it they cannot locate specific information about a particular person, that means it will be a challenge to find out anything about the person. Such appears to have been the case for George S. Sheppard, an attorney and amateur historian in Penn Yan.

Apparently Sheppard reached out to the Mormons to learn about Levi Lyman, a fellow Penn Yan attorney from a different time, but the effort seemed to be futile. “We are unable to give you any information concerning Levi Lyman,” read the letter in response to Sheppard, dated January 11, 1935. “Regretting we are unable to furnish you with the information asked for.”

I start my article on Levi Lyman – an interesting yet mysterious character in Yates County history and, to a certain extent, in American history – to convey that he is interesting because he is mysterious and, perhaps, mysterious because he is interesting. Lyman is listed and described as an attorney during the early years of Yates County, though according to an article presumably written by Frank Swann and then copied by Catharine Spencer, “There apparently is no record of Lyman in Yates County histories.” From these humble beginnings of sorts, Lyman went on to work for P.T. Barnum and later possibly for Brigham Young – both interesting and mysterious characters in themselves.

No photographs of Lyman seem to exist either. The closest I could come to an image of Lyman were a couple of drawings – provided to me by researcher and friend of the Yates County History Center Nannette Rod – from Barnum’s autobiography, depicting Lyman and his involvement with Barnum in a couple of escapades (more on those incidents later). And though his Find-A-Grave entry – again, provided to me by Nannette, who has conducted incredibly diligent research into Lyman and his Penn Yan roots over several decades – lists Lyman’s birth date as July 22, 1798 in Salisbury, Connecticut and his death date as August 6, 1848 in the Great Salt Lake City Valley of the Utah Territory, no one seems to know where he is buried. Did I mention he is interesting and mysterious?

It seems Lyman came from his New England birthplace at least by the time Yates County was established in 1823. He started out as a schoolteacher here and then read law probably under William M. Oliver, uncle of Dr. William W. Oliver, the first homeowner of the Oliver House. Whatever official records exist of Lyman in local history, he apparently served as Yates County’s deputy clerk under its first county clerk, Abraham H. Bennett. According to a newspaper letter written by someone identified only as X.Y.Z., Bennett appointed Lyman as deputy clerk on June 21, 1824 – nearly a year and a half after the county was officially formed – and then appointed the next deputy clerk, Asa N. Norton, on February 4, 1829. That means Lyman would have worked as deputy county clerk for nearly five years.

X.Y.Z. states in the letter, dated April 9, 1925, they found a record of the Court of Common Pleas indicating Lyman was admitted as an attorney and “counsellor of the court” in 1827, when he was not quite 30 years old. According to X.Y.Z., there are also several records of law cases in which Lyman appeared as an attorney. In that year, according to the Swann article, Lyman became a law partner with Roderick Morrison. Morrison, who had come to Penn Yan from Virginia (though this may be an error on Swann’s part, as Morrison was born in Westmoreland, studied at Hamilton College, and practiced law in Utica and Rochester before coming to Penn Yan), built a home in the village that still exists on Highland Drive. The two men located their practice in the south wing of the Washington House on Main Street – now the approximate site of the Yates County Public Safety Building – opposite the Yates County Courthouse. Lyman joined the Freemasons and also served as county commissioner of deeds from 1830 to 1833.

By 1840, according to Swann as copied by Spencer, Morrison and Lyman both left Yates County, and Lyman became associated with Barnum around that time. During his connection to Barnum, Lyman was involved in two of the showman’s greatest hoaxes in his days of sideshows long before Barnum founded his famous circus in 1871. According to an undated and unidentified newspaper article purporting to quote an excerpt from M.R. Werner’s biography of Barnum “introducing a former Penn Yan man,” Barnum hired Lyman to help him exhibit Joice Heth, a Black woman whom Barnum claimed to be 161 years old and to have been George Washington’s nurse.

Barnum had a bill of sale from Washington’s father to prove Heth’s age and testimonial certificates from doctors agreeing with the assessment of her age. For her part, Heth possessed “a great deal of knowledge of the old days,” likely fed to her to keep up the fraud. Barnum needed a person who could display Heth with an air of scientific authority and wanted a lawyer for the role – someone who could be shrewd and could protect Barnum’s interests. Barnum brought on Lyman – who had moved to New York City in 1835 and lodged at the boarding house owned by Barnum and his wife – for that purpose.

Lyman exhibited Heth in New York, Boston, and almost a dozen other towns for six months and took in more than $60,000 (at least $1.8 million in today’s money) during that time. When Heth died shortly after her 162nd birthday, reputable physicians conducted an examination that showed Heth to be around 80 years old – certainly a ripe old age for that era but not as impressive as 162. Amid the expose Barnum and Lyman had a great deal of fun convincing the New York newspapers that the medical examination was a hoax and Heth was still alive and well. In doing so, they hoped to continue their profitable tour in England with a Heth substitute, before Barnum lost interest after discovering General Tom Thumb.

Initially, Barnum was convinced Heth’s story was genuine when he purchased her remaining exhibition rights. Lyman later discovered an anachronism in the bill of sale that proved it was counterfeit. However, Barnum and Lyman stayed together through this incident and later staged another sideshow together, to publicize Barnum’s newly purchased American Museum.

This time, a few years later in 1842, Lyman grew a beard and posed as Dr. Griffin, a professor and collector of specimens for The London Lyceum of Natural History. He exhibited the Feejee Mermaid, purported to be half fish and half woman but really just a clever taxidermy job. Lyman traveled to several museums, displaying this curiosity and making another fortune.  He quit the job when he learned that his mother lay dying, but he later returned as Barnum’s agent, touring Mrs. Pelby’s life-size waxwork tableau of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.” It is thought that Lyman exhibited the mermaid again for Moses Kimball's Boston Museum.

Whether Lyman actually went on to work for Young appears to be a subject of debate. In his 1923 biography of Barnum, Werner mentions Lyman as Young’s “right-hand man,” but in his 1925 biography of Young, Werner does not mention Lyman anywhere. In his 1855 autobiography, Barnum states Lyman became a Mormon, moved to Nauvoo, Illinois, and died there.

However, by the time Lyman died, the Mormons had largely escaped to the Salt Lake Valley. Young became church president in December 1847, so Lyman couldn’t have served him for more than eight months before he died.  Lyman was last mentioned as arriving at a hotel in Staten Island, New York, on December 2, 1847. Assuming he had not yet begun his journey across the mountains to Utah Territory, which he would not attempt in wintertime, he must have died shortly after he arrived there in Utah. When Lyman died, he was well short of 80 years old let alone the age of 162.

[beggarsbelief]

The Cardiff Giant

[jamieroxxartist]

Birthday Remembrances. Today, July 5, 1810 – #PTBarnum, American businessman, co-founded Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (d. 1891) was born.

( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P._T._Barnum )

[georgelthomas]

Book Review: The Mermaid By Christina Henry

Book Review: The Mermaid By Christina Henry #ReaderCommunity #ReadingCommunity #BookCommunity #Reading #Books #BookReview #Review #Mermaid #19thCentury #PTBarnum #Mermaids #NewYorkCity #America #Romance #Myths #Legends #Retelling #History #Fairytale

Hi everyone! I hope you’re all well. It’s Friday again, which means it’s time for another review. Today, I am reviewing The Mermaid by Christina Henry. The Mermaid by Christina Henry was first published in 2018 by Titan Books and is 304 pages long. The PlotThe Mermaid tells the story of Amelia, a mermaid living in the mid-1800s who finds herself in New York City, providing entertainment for the…

[labellenouvelle]

It’s the Greatest Show !!!

Original P.T. BARNUM’S traveling word’s fair campaign of 1873 advertising with a letter to the public . Original woodcut engraving from the Harper’s Weekly for March 29, 1873. Mint condition , ready to frame and display.

Item #E4980-79

Dimensions: 16″ x 11″

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[changoblanco]

Welcome all people from other planets, Dante Vaghi lived down the street from me in a most beautiful yet spooky house that was on my paper route. Further down the street was the Vaghi Woodworking Co. Where the signs wet mounted on the side of the warehouse facing the train station. I was fascinated by him but afraid to talk to him. #myhometown #Bethel #connecticut #welcome #ETs #ufo #dantevaghi #eyewitness #ufopioneer #seasonsgreetings #hubbletelescope #ptbarnum #birthplace #thevaghiwoodworkingco (at Bethel, Connecticut) https://www.instagram.com/p/CVIxhRYLdDA/?utm_medium=tumblr

[annlarimer]

Still unpacking from office move. I found the Feejee Mermaid I made ~20 years ago from a #fisherpricelittlepeople chicken, wood, and craft foam. I had an entire website of custom FOLP characters, mostly #xfiles and #millennium (vintage Little People were a LOT cheaper then). The most memorable was the Lily Tomlin Ghost Who Stole Christmas, because I was bad at tool safety and while I was drilling her giant chest hole, the drill slipped and made a huge gouge in my leg. The #WestWing Josh Lyman with a bullet hole in his chest still makes me laugh. #toyphotography #customtoys #toycustomization #drillsafety #ptbarnum #vintagetoys #xfilestoys https://www.instagram.com/p/CTqUpYAMcEg/?utm_medium=tumblr

[ionbookintros]

The Art of Money Getting by P. T. Barnum

[victorianchap]

🔸 The stars of P.T. Barnum’s “Freak” show, c. 1905.  From left:  Laloo the Hindu (he had a parasitic twin), Young Herman (who had a large chest), J K Coffey (the “Human Skeleton”), James Morris (the “Rubber Man”), and Jo Jo the “Dog Faced Boy” (who had generalized hypertrichosis or “werewolf syndrome”). Source: “Decades of the 20th Century - 1900s” book by Nick Yapp #victorianchap #goodolddays #ptbarnum #freakshow #wtf #edwardian #vintage #1900s #oldphoto #portrait #retro #victorian #nostalgia https://www.instagram.com/p/B9YctTNAafv/?igshid=ps4rb4cnwgnj

[my-bad-writing-requested-edition]

Being the youngest performer at Barnum’s

When you saw the flyer you were wary but hopeful that there was a place that would accept you

Barnum was surprised to see a kid show up, but when he saw your abilities, he knew that this would benefit both of you

You were a few years older than his daughters so he pretty much saw you as one

You immediately got along with the others, Anne & W.D. took you under their wing from the start

When Phillip joined he was shocked and confused that someone of your age participated in the circus

You saw the bond between Phillip & Anne from the start, doing your best to appease W.D. when he found out

The rioters at first claimed you were being manipulated by your fellow performers

When they realized you actually liked being a member of the circus, they became even crueler towards you

Devil Spawn & Witch were some of the kinder names they called you

If your makeshift family didn’t want to fight them before, they were thirsty for blood now (You were a kid!)

They all saw their younger selves in you & always looked after you

When the building burned down, they made sure you were one of the first out & safe

You were devastated when Phillip ran in for Anne only for her to come out from the back

The relief you felt when everyone survived was a weight off your shoulders

When Barnum decided to continue with the use of tents, you followed

They were an odd family (not for their appearances & abilities) but they were the best one you could ask for

[saberglo]

Ladies and gents, this is the moment you've waited for... This is The Greatest Show!!! 🎪🦁 #Vikaber #Furries #furry #fursuiter #fursuiting #fursuitersofinstagram #furrycommunity #circus #lions #Ringmaster #TheGreatestShow #Barnum #mascots #mascoting #ptbarnum #fursuitfriday https://www.instagram.com/p/B3M2H2ipVm5/?igshid=1d3z8avyd6b3r

[luanfernandesoficial]

Felicidade se resume em momentos vividos com intensidade e que o tempo jamais apagará!! . . . #theatre #thegreatestshowman #actor #instagood #art #photooftheday #movie #music #empreender #actors #love #dance #theater #brazil #cinema #actorlifestyle #thisisme #dancer #rewritethestars #ptbarnum #actorlife #follow #dancelife #musical #drama #actorslife #production #acting #instafollow #director (em Teatro Municipal Christiane Riera) https://www.instagram.com/luanfernandes_oficial/p/BvpadeKFBjs/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=r6zs5uy60s8m

[piaisabelvargas]

Source: Who Am I? II: Test Your Biography IQ Based on the Biography Magazine Column by David Goldman

[yatescountyhistorycenter]

The night Tom Thumb came to town

By Jonathan Monfiletto

The Yates County History Center is fortunate to have an extensive collection of digitized photographs along with a thorough index of this collection to quickly and easily locate photos depicting all kinds of history. It is just as quick and easy to get lost in a magical experience of virtual time traveling through this collection.

Boy, did I go down some rabbit holes recently. We tend to turn to this collection for our social media posts since the photos are already scanned and digitized. I accessed the collection looking for a couple of specific items I wanted to use for posts, but as I browsed through the index and then scrolled through the photos, I caught myself finding even more things I wanted to share in posts.

And that is how I discovered General Tom Thumb and his company made at least one appearance in Penn Yan, on April 20, 1864. I found two photos of General Tom Thumb – one of him with his wife, Lavinia Warren, and another of him with his company, which included Commodore Nutt and Minnie Warren along with Lavinia Warren. I assume those photos are from that appearance.

Using our collection of digitized newspapers, I found an advertisement in the April 7, 1864 edition of the Yates County Chronicle that promoted a performance by General Tom Thumb and his company – “the four smallest human beings, of mature age, ever known on the face of the globe,” according to the advertisement – on Wednesday, April 20, 1864 at Washington Hall in Penn Yan.

According to the advertisement, there would be two performances – from 3 to 4:30 p.m. and from 7:30 to 9 p.m. – with doors opening a half hour in advance each time. Admission cost 25 cents, with children under 10 years of age charged 15 cents.

According to ConnecticutHistory.org, General Tom Thumb was born Charles Sherwood Stratton on January 4, 1838 in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Seven months after his birth, Charles’ growth slowed dramatically and he reached only 3 feet in height during his lifetime. His diminutive stature helped make him famous around the world.

P.T. Barnum discovered and hired Stratton at age 4 for Barnum’s American Museum in New York City, and the boy performed various comedy and musical routines. Seeking greater publicity, Barnum changed the boy’s name and added years to his age, promoting 11-year-old General Tom Thumb as an entertainer from Europe. Tom Thumb soon began touring the United States as the smallest man alive.

On February 10, 1863, 25-year-old Stratton married Lavinia Warren, a fellow Barnum performer. Following their honeymoon in Washington, D.C. – where they received an invitation from U.S. President Abraham Lincoln – the Strattons embarked on a three-year tour performing in more than 580 cities around the world. It was likely during this tour that General Tom Thumb came to Penn Yan.

The Chronicle advertisement describes the company this way: “Here are a Married Couple, a Bachelor and Belle, all four weighing but 100 lbs., perfect in form and features. The world never saw anything half so wonderful! No larger than so many babies!”

The Lost Museum Archive, a virtual recreation of Barnum’s American Museum, notes exhibitions of people with disabilities or abnormalities would be considered offensive and inappropriate in today’s culture, but such presentations “were not uncommon in mid and late nineteenth-century popular culture.” Barnum “reaped enormous profits” by exhibiting and presenting these human curiosities such as Tom Thumb, whom he taught to sing, dance, and imitate famous people and who both performed at the American Museum and toured the world as one of the best-known midgets.

In Penn Yan, according to the advertisement, Tom Thumb and Lavinia Warren would open their act wearing the wedding costumes they wore on the day they got married, a little more than a year before at that point. The copy goes on to describe the various characters and acts each of the four performers would present: “They will appear in a great variety of fascinating performances and costumes.”

Adding to their performances, the four performers would ride through the streets of Penn Yan, according to the advertisement, in “a magnificent miniature coach … no larger than a ‘bushel basket,’ drawn by four of the smallest ponies in the world and attended by elfin coachman and footman in livery” and would ride to and from the hall and their hotel in this coach. Also, “the rich, rare and costly wedding presents, also the magnificent jewels presented … by the crowned heads of Europe” would be exhibited at each performance.

According to ConnecticutHistory.org, Tom Thumb performed with his wife and remained popular until his death on July 15, 1883 at age 45. Lavinia lived for another 36 years and died in 1919. The couple is buried together in Mountain Grove Cemetery in Bridgeport, Connecticut.