P. T. Barnum

Phineas Taylor Barnum
Birthday	Thursday, July 05, 1810
Birthplace	Bethel, Connecticut
Died	Tuesday, April 07, 1891
Known for	Opening the "Barnum and Bailey Circus"

Barnum, P. T. (Phineas Taylor)

(1810–91) showman; born in Bethel, Conn. The self-proclaimed prince of humbug, he was a publisher when he became intrigued by Joice Heth, a black woman claiming to be George Washington's nurse; he successfully promoted her in the late 1830s. In 1842 he opened his New York museum of natural history and "curiosities," including "the Egress" and the midget, Tom Stratton ("General Tom Thumb"), whom he took to meet Queen Victoria. In 1850 he brought Jenny Lind, the Swedish singer, to America. In 1855 he published the first edition of his autobiography, The Life of P. T. Barnum. He knew what the public wanted and how to promote his unique attractions. In 1871 he introduced "The Greatest Show on Earth," a three ring circus which he transported by rail. Joining with rival James Bailey in 1881, he featured exotic animals, including one he advertised as "the last mastodon on earth" (actually, Jumbo the elephant). A liberal Republican, he served in the Connecticut legislature (1865–69) and as mayor of Bridgeport (1875–76).

The Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography, by John S. Bowman. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995. Reproduced with permission.

Barnum, P. T.

(1810–1891) circus impressario famous for his saying, “Never give a sucker an even break.” [Am. Hist.: Van Doren, 825–826]

See: Exploitation

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Barnum, P. T.

(1810–1891) circus owner whose sideshows were sometimes fraudulent; wrote Humbugs of the World. [Am. Hist.: NCE, 234]

See: Humbuggery

Allusions—Cultural, Literary, Biblical, and Historical: A Thematic Dictionary. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.