P.T Barnum
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Phineas Taylor Barnum moved to New York City at the age of 24 where he began his career as a "promoter and entertainer" by exhibiting a Negro slave named Joice Heth. Claiming that she was 120 years old and had previously served as a nurse to George Washington, Barnum began to trick the public and "arouse their excitement". Pursuing his interests in the entertainment industry, Barnum later opened his infamous “American Museum” in 1842.
"Located at the corner of Broadway and Ann Streets", Barnum's museum was operating at a time where the citizens of New York had "increased leisure time". New York City was "prospering financially" and their citizens were itching to be amazed by Barnum's jaw-dropping acts. Interestingly enough, Barnum thought to hire bad musicians to play outside the American Museum "figuring that people would pay money to enter the museum to get away from the musicians". (2)
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""Politeness and civility are the best capital ever invested in business. Large stores, gilt signs, flaming advertisements, will all prove unavailing if you or your employees treat your patrons abruptly. The truth is, the more kind and liberal a man is, the more generous will be the patronage bestowed upon him."- P.T. Barnum (3)
Barnum made it his goal to guarantee that any "endeavor that was connected with his name" would forever be remembered. Beginning his infamous career with the showcase of Joice Heth (whom he dubbed the "oldest woman on earth'), Barnum certainly has created a long-lasting legacy. (4)
1. Historic U.S. Events, ed. "Barnum's Circus Opens." U.S. History in Context. Last modified 2014. http://ic.galegroup.com/ic. (January 4, 2017).
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
5. Irving Wallace. P.T Barnum. Photograph. Encyclopedia Britannica. May 7, 2013. https://www.britannica.com/biography/P-T-Barnum. (April 4, 2017).
6. T Galloway. Portrayal of Heth and Barnum from the Potsville Herald, 1935. Photograph. Fish Wrap. September 9, 2015. https://blog.newspapers.com/barnums-big-break/. (April 4, 2017).
7. Poster from the 1920s promoting the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. 1920. Photograph. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Barnum-and-Bailey-Circus. (February 1, 2017).
8. Ibid, "U.S. History in Context."
10. 7. Poster from the 1920s promoting the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. 1920. Photograph. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Barnum-and-Bailey-Circus. (Februrary 1, 2017).
11. Ibid, "Portrayal of Heth and Barnum from the Potsville Herald."
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