Primary tabs
Guide to the P.T. Barnum Collection, 1830-1893 (BM-MSS 02)
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
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.
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.
Administrative Information
Publication Statement
The Barnum Museum 2017
820 Main Street, Bridgeport, CT 06604-4912, info@barnum-museum.org, 203-331-1104
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
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.
Detailed Description of Records/Container List
Series I: Life material, 1810-1893 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Title/Description | Instances | ||
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 | |
Series II: Subject files, 1840-1938 | |||
Title/Description | Instances | ||
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 | |
Series III: Photographs, 1840-1938 | |||
Title/Description | Instances | ||
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 | |
Series IV: Seperate items, 1848-1891 | |||
Title/Description | Instances | ||
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 | ||