Author: Eric D. Lehman
Publisher: Wesleyan University Press
ISBN: 0819573329
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 273
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Book Description
An “evocative and entertaining” biography of the nineteenth century circus performer who became a global phenomenon (Neil Harris, author of Humbug). When P. T. Barnum met twenty-five-inch-tall Charles Stratton at a Bridgeport, Connecticut hotel in 1843, one of the most important partnerships in entertainment history was born. With Barnum’s promotional skills and the miniature Stratton’s comedic talents, they charmed a Who’s Who of the nineteenth century, from Queen Victoria to Charles Dickens to Abraham Lincoln. Adored worldwide as “General Tom Thumb,” Stratton played to sold-out shows for almost forty years. From his days as a precocious child star to his tragic early death, Becoming Tom Thumb tells the full story of this iconic figure for the first time. It details his triumphs on the New York stage, his epic celebrity wedding, and his around-the-world tour, drawing on newly available primary sources and interviews. From the mansions of Paris to the deserts of Australia, Stratton’s unique brand of Yankee comedy not only earned him the accolades of millions of fans, it helped move little people out of the side show and into the limelight.
Author: Michael J. Bielawa
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 9780738512013
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 132
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Book Description
Bridgeport, Connecticut, owns a rich and diverse baseball history. People from varied backgrounds stepped up to the plate in Bridgeport's early years-sons of Irish immigrants, laborers and merchants, Asian and Latino players, and some of the first African Americans to play professional ball. Local baseball truly blossomed with "Orator" Jim O'Rourke, who returned from the big leagues and organized the Connecticut State Baseball League in 1895. Numerous Bridgeport teams evolved, including the Victors, Mechanics, Bolts, Americans, and Bears. Bridgeport Baseball traces the game from the post-Civil War era to today. Baseball beneath the roaring smokestacks of industrial Bridgeport included visits by barnstorming Major League and Negro League teams, future Hall of Famers, and a train wreck that almost killed the St. Louis Cardinals. The smokestacks are silent now, yet the legacy of Bridgeport baseball continues to evolve with the city's first professional club in nearly half a century-the Bridgeport Bluefish. The team, owners, staff, fans, and stadium have all contributed to restoring the living history that is Bridgeport Baseball.
Author: Eric D. Lehman
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 1625842740
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 156
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Book Description
A charming collection of Bridgeport stories and historic images bring this eccentric, enchanting history to life. In the late nineteenth century, P.T. Barnum was known worldwide for his traveling circus, but to the city of Bridgeport he meant much more. The city's mayor and benefactor, Barnum was also a mastermind at urban planning. Thus, amid Bridgeport's growing industrial factories, orchestras played from the bandstand at Seaside Park and bucolic hills surrounded Bunnell's Pond. In this collection of narratives, Eric D. Lehman captures the city's natural beauty and richly eccentric history. From the brave women of the Black Rock Lighthouse to war heroes of 'the nation's arsenal', from 'the tiniest general', Tom Thumb, to the tragic death of Jumbo the elephant, these are the best stories from Connecticut's 'Park City.'
Author: J. W. Ocker
Publisher: The Countryman Press
ISBN: 1581578628
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 307
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Book Description
An insider’s guide to wicked, weird, and wonderful New England. A rich compendium of macabre and historic New England happenings, this travelogue features firsthand accounts of almost 200 sites throughout New England. This region is full of the macabre, the grim, and the ghastly—and all of it is worth visiting, for the traveler who dares! Author J. W. Ocker supplements directions and site information with entertaining personal anecdotes. Topics include: Legends and personalities of the macabre Infamous crimes and killers Dreadful tragedies Horror movie locales Notable cemeteries and gravestones Intriguing memento mori Classic monsters
Author: Phineas Taylor Barnum
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : American wit and humor
Languages : en
Pages : 404
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Book Description
Author: Phineas Taylor Barnum
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 426
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Book Description
Author: A. H. Saxon
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 9780231056878
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 512
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Book Description
I believe hugely in advertising and blowing my own trumpet, beating the gongs, drums, to attract attention to a show, Phineas Taylor Barnum wrote to a publisher in 1860. "I don't believe in 'duping the public,' but I believe in first attracting and then pleasing them." The name P.T. Barnum is virtually synonymous with the fine art of self-advertisement and the apocryphal statement, "There's a sucker born every minute." Nearly a century after his death, Barnum remains one of America's most celebrated figures. In the Selected Letters of P.T. Barnum, A.H. Saxon brings together more than 300 letters written by the self-styled "Prince of Humbugs." Here we see him, opinionated and exuberant, with only the rarest flashes of introspection and self-doubt, haggling with business partners, blustering over politics, and attempting to get such friends as Mark Twain to endorse his latest schemes. Always the king of showmen, Barnum considered himself a museum man first and was forever on the lookout for "curiosities," whether animate or inanimate. His early career included such outright frauds as Joice Heth, the "161-year-old nurse of George Washington," and the Fejee Mermaid-the desiccated head and torso of a monkey sewn to the body of a fish. Although in later years he projected a more solid, respectable image-managing the irreproachable "legitimate" attraction Jenny Lind, becoming a leading light in the temperance crusade, founding the Barnum & Bailey Circus-much of his daily existence continued to be unabashedly devoted to manipulating public opinion so as to acquire for himself and his enterprises what he delightedly termed "notoriety." His famous autobiography, The Life of P.T. Barnum, which he regularly augmented during the last quarter century of his life, was itself a masterpiece of self-promotion. "Will you have the kindness to announce that I am writing my life & that fifty-seven different publishers have applied for the chance of publishing it," he wrote to a newspaper editor, adding, "Such is the fact-and if it wasn't, why still it ain't a bad announcement." The Selected Letters of P.T. Barnum captures the magic of this consummate showman's life, truly his own "greatest show on earth."
Author: Trav Sd
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780578847078
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 122
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Book Description
Hardcover, Color edition. A treasure trove of vintage postcards and photographs accompanied by the history of the unique "Rose's Royal Midgets and Other Little People of Vaudeville".
Author: Neil Harris
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226317528
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 351
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Book Description
"This carefully researched study of America's greatest showman, huckster, and impresario is both an inclusive analysis of the historical and cultural forces that were the conditions of P. T. Barnum's success, and, as befits its subject, a richly entertaining presentation of the outrageous man and his exploits." -- Publisher.
Author: P.T. Barnum
Publisher: Miasto Książek
ISBN: 8379543505
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 60
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Book Description
P.T. Barnum, the legendary showman and entrepreneur, shares his timeless wisdom in The Art of Money Getting; or, Golden Rules for Making Money. Drawing on his vast experience in business, Barnum outlines practical strategies for achieving financial success without compromising integrity. With wit and insight, he emphasizes the importance of perseverance, adaptability, and, most importantly, honesty in the pursuit of wealth. Far from being just a collection of get-rich-quick tips, this book serves as a guide to personal and professional development, teaching readers how to navigate the challenges of life and business with sound principles and a clear mind. A classic work that remains as relevant today as it was in Barnum’s time, this is essential reading for anyone looking to build a lasting fortune.
