The Barnum Museum

Summary Information

Location:
The Barnum Museum

Bridgeport, C.T.

Creator:
P.T. Barnum
Title:
P.T. Barnum Collection1830-1893 [bulk 1850-1890]
Call No.:
Physical Description:
2 ½ manuscript boxes, 10 oversized custom enclosures
Language:
Collection material in English
Summary:
Documenting the life of P.T. Barnum, this collection focuses on Barnum’s personal life, his business correspondence, and his family. It contains correspondence both personal and business in nature, along with private family photographs, legal documents, and a subject file of material related to his business ventures, as well as material related to his funeral and memorial services. This is an artificial collection of material acquired over several decades.
Note:

For information about The Barnum Museum collections and services, see the The Barnum Museum home page

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Scope and Content Note

The P.T. Barnum Collection is an artificial collection, and is comprised of museum materials acquired over the years. Because of this, the scope is focused primarily on manuscript materials and photographs, with only a small smattering of folders within the subject files. Most material related to the contents of the subject files are museum artefacts, and are treated as such.

Series I, life materials, represents a mix of correspondence to and from P.T. Barnum, legal documents, financial documents, and additional manuscript material from his hand. Published material by Barnum is also represented, as well as documentation related to his death and funeral.

Series II, the subject file, contains ephemera and limited manuscript material related to Barnum’s various business ventures, but especially the American Museums and those that performed there. There is also some material related to George Washington Morris Nutt (Col. Nutt) and Jenny Lind.

Series III is the photographic collection, and consists of portraits of Barnum throughout the years, as well as photographs of his family and his homes.

Series IV, separate items acts at the heading for all oversize material, which contains journals and scrapbooks within custom enclosures.

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Arrangement Note

In order to maintain intellectual control of the material, it was decided that archival documents would be split between materials related to Barnum’s life, subject files, photographs, and then oversized material. Correspondence was given priority in series I, followed by other material from Barnum’s hand before any other material. It was decided that items related to his death and funeral would come at the end of the series. Due to the fairly small amount of material, it was decided that there would be no subseries within the collection.

Series II, the subject files, represents a number of performers from Barnum’s American Museum. Several of these files were intermixed with the materials related to the circus housed within the Barnum Museum, and were removed to this collection. Likewise, a box labeled “Barnum’s Special People” contained a mix of American Museum performers and circus performers, and was split between this collection and the BM-MSS 04 Circus Collection.

A decision was made that in regard to image material, this collection would include photographic works, but not illustrations. Therefore, non-photographic portraits of Barnum, his homes, and other associated material was removed and will be treated at a museum object level with the Barnum Museum.

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Administrative Information

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Name and Subject Tracings

  • Name and Subject Tracings
  • Personal and Coporate names
  • Barnum, P. T. (Phineas Taylor), 1810-1891
  • Barnum, P. T. (Phineas Taylor), 1810-1891--Autographs.
  • Barnum, P. T. (Phineas Taylor), 1810-1891--Correspondence.
  • Bunker, Chang, 1811-1874.
  • Bunker, Eng, 1811-1874.
  • Fish, Nancy.
  • Hallett, Charity
  • Lind, Jenny, 1820-1887.
  • Swan, Anna, 1846-1888
  • American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal
  • Barnum and London Circus
  • Barnum and Bailey--1890-1900.
  • Barnum's American Museum

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Subjects

  • Subjects
  • Circus owners.
  • Funeral service--United States.
  • Museums.
  • Museums--Fires and fire prevention
  • Museums--New York (State)--New York.
  • Museums--United States--History--19th century.

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Detailed Description of Records/Container List

Series I: Life material, 1810-1893

Title/DescriptionInstances
Correspondence, incoming, 1850-1887 box 1 folder 1
Correspondence, outgoing, 1830s box 1 folder 2
Correspondence, outgoing, 1850s box 1 folder 3
Correspondence, outgoing, 1860s box 1 folder 4
Correspondence, outgoing, 1870s box 1 folder 5
Correspondence, outgoing, 1880s box 1 folder 6
Correspondence, outgoing, 1980s box 1 folder 7
Correspondence, outgoing, undated box 1 folder 8
Correspondence, incoming, addressed to Henry Hurd, Barnum’s son-in-law, 1874-1876 box 1 folder 9
Correspondence relating to P.T. Barnum’s estate, July 3, 1894 box 1 folder 10
Writ form printed by Barnum, 1830s box 1 folder 11
Handwritten excerpt from “Struggles and Triumphs,” 1869 box 1 folder 12
2007.002.013 Publications and writings, printed posthumously, 1897 box 1 folder 13
Deeds and contracts relating to real estate, the Citizen’s Water Company, additional dealing, and Nancy Fish-Barnum’s annuity fund, 1837-1906 box 1 folder 14
Deeds related to Barnum relatives, 1800-1866 box 1 folder 15
Checks written by Barnum, 1876-1887 box 1 folder 16
2007.002.013 Checks featuring Barnum, 1876-1890 box 1 folder 17
Funeral program, April 10, 1981 box 1 folder 18
Will and codicils, April 11, 1891 box 1 folder 19
Will and codicils, April 11, 1891 (hardback) box 1 folder 20
Will, printed in newspaper, 1891 box 1 folder 21
Barnum statue unveiling ephemera, July 4, 1893 box 1 folder 22
Barnum Family genealogy, undated box 1 folder 23
Political cartoon, Barnum’s New What Is It by Thomas Nast box 1 folder 24

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Series II: Subject files, 1840-1938

Title/DescriptionInstances
American Museum, 1849-1868 box 2 folder 1
American Museum performers, 1840s-1860s box 2 folder 2
Banquet booklet, held to welcome Barnum to England, November 8, 1889 box 2 folder 3
Anna Bates (Anna Swan), c. 1840s-1860s box 2 folder 4
Chang and Eng Bunker, 1874-1883 box 2 folder 5
George Washington Morris Nutt (Commodore Nutt), 1862 box 2 folder 6
Clippings, 1883-1938 box 2 folder 7

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Series III: Photographs, 1840-1938

Title/DescriptionInstances
Photographs, Portraits of Barnum, c. 1850s-1870s box 3 folder 1
Photographs, Portraits of Barnum, c. 1880s-1890s 1 of 2 box 3 folder 2
Photographs, Portraits of Barnum, c. 1880s-1890s 2 of 2 box 3 folder 3
Copies of photographs, possibly from the Meserve Collection, c. 1870s box 3 folder 4
Photograph, Barnum in coat and top hat taken in London, c. 1880s box 3 folder 5
Photographs, Barnum with elephants on bridge, 1880s box 3 folder 6
Photographs, Charity Hallett, undated box 3 folder 7
Photographs, Nancy Fish, undated box 3 folder 8
Photographs, Barnum ‘s family including his mother, children, sons-in-law, and grandchildren, c. 1850s-1890s box 3 folder 9
Photographs, Family photographs of the Seeleys, undated box 3 folder 10
Photographs, P.T. Barnum’s grave site, post 1891 box 3 folder 11
Photographs, Barnum statue unveiling, July 4, 1893 box 3 folder 12
Photographs, Barnum properties, c. 1880s box 3 folder 13

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Series IV: Seperate items, 1848-1891

Title/DescriptionInstances
Photographs, P.T. Barnum’s address book box Container 1
The Last Chapter of P.T. Barnum, In Memoriam by Nancy Fish, 1893 box Container 2
Dixon’s Letter Copy Book, containing copies of P.T. Barnum’s Letters in his own hand, 1845 box Container 3
Typed copy of “A Journal” by Caroline C. Barnum, book 1, July 5-August 11, 1848 box Container 4
Blank journal with engravings, probably gifts to Barnum, 1845 box Container 5
Blank journal with engravings, probably gifts to Barnum, undated box Container 6
Blank journal with engravings, probably gifts to Barnum, undated box Container 7
PMemorial for Charity Barnum, November 22, 1873 box Container 8
Box containing: Scrapbook of articles on P.T. Barnum’s death, 1891; Memorial book relating to Charity Barnum’s death, 1873; Memorial book relating to Charity’s death 1873 box Container 9
Box containing: Box: P.T. Barnum’s Checkbook (undated); P.T. Barnum contract, 1887 box Container 10

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