"P.T. Barnum's Own Illustrated News for the Season of 1878"

01

Artifact Overview

Phineas Taylor (P.T.) Barnum (1810-1891) entered the circus business in 1876 after a 40-year career as a showman. In this presumably self-published newspaper, Barnum highlighted his past entertainment endeavor and announced his lineup for the 1878 "Greatest Show on Earth" circus. Barnum's circus featured animal menageries, clowns, automata, acrobatic horse-riders, and human "curiosities" such as Captain George Costentenus--a heavily tattooed man.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Newspaper

Date Made

1878

Subject Date

1878

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Object ID

32.766.5

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Paper (Fiber product)

Technique

Printing (Process)

Color

Black-and-white (Colors)

Dimensions

Height: 13.938 in
Width: 10.25 in