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Jul 1, 2024 · P.T. Barnum (born July 5, 1810, Bethel, Connecticut, U.S.—died April 7, 1891, Bridgeport, Connecticut) was an American showman who employed sensational forms of presentation and publicity to popularize such amusements as the public museum, the musical concert, and the three-ring circus.
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Phineas Taylor Barnum ( / ˈbɑːrnəm /; July 5, 1810 – April 7, 1891) was an American showman, businessman and politician remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and founding the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus [1] with James Anthony Bailey .
- Joice Heth (the 161-year-old woman) It’s almost certain that Joice Heth was not 161 years old at the time of her death. But it’s hard to deny that she looked very old indeed.
- Fedor Jeftichew, The Dog Boy. Fedor Jeftichew was already a well-established circus star before he signed up with P.T. Barnum. Born in St Petersburg, Russia, in 1868, he suffered from hypertrichosis, a medial condition which causes long hairs to grow virtually all over the body.
- Isaac Sprague, The Living Skeleton. By the end of the 19 century, so-called ‘Living Skeletons’ were relatively common in circuses and other touring sideshows.
- Anna Swan, The Giantess of Nova Scotia. Anna Haining Swan was born to Scottish immigrants in Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1846. Though both her mother and father were of average height, she was a big child.
Apr 2, 2014 · P.T. Barnum was a successful American promoter who founded what became the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1871.
- Barnum was an entrepreneur from an early age. Barnum’s knack for moneymaking first manifested during his youth in Bethel, Connecticut. The future showman sold snacks and homemade cherry rum during local gatherings, and by age 12, he had made enough money to purchase his own livestock.
- He first rose to prominence by engineering a famous hoax. In 1835, Barnum launched his career in entertainment by purchasing Joice Heth, a blind slave touted as the 161-year-old former nurse of George Washington.
- Barnum didn’t go into the circus business until relatively late in life. Barnum is best known for his traveling three-ring circuses, but he didn’t make his first forays under the big top until he was 60 years old.
- He helped popularize opera in the United States. Despite his association with sideshow acts like the Nova Scotia Giantess and Zip the Pinhead, Barnum was also responsible for introducing many Americans to high culture.
Apr 13, 2023 · Barnum was the most famous man in America in the 19th century, perhaps even the world! He was a regular correspondent with famous world figures including Mark Twain, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Queen Victoria, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses Grant and Thomas Edison.
Apr 13, 2023 · P.T. Barnum was the answer to the democratic dream to challenge the establishment and alter the authoritative voice. His pioneering spirit of promotion and his acumen for business transformed popular conceptions of the era, in turn molding and defining many ideals of today.
