Rare Book Monthly
Articles - November - 2008 Issue
Barnum Museum Finds Key to Its Origins on eBay
Kathleen Maher finds a notable entry in the Barnum Museum ledger.
Continued Ms. Maher, "As we are only just beginning the assessment of the ledger, there are just a few things that we've discovered at this point. Notably, the Charles Dickens (coat) that still exists in the collection, Civil War playing cards, and references to Mrs. Barnum's donations."
"Not only is this a significant artifact in its own right, but it's a factual resource on our collections that have been here for over 100 years," she said. "We found the entry documenting Charles Dickens' coat, entries on Civil War playing cards, all sort of things. It's a primary resource that is invaluable to the museum since it provides supporting documentation for our collections." Some of the more interesting exhibits are a 1,000 square foot replica of a five-ring circus, with 3,000 carved figures, and an Egyptian mummy that is estimated to be 4,000 years old. The oddest exhibit that literally takes the cake would be just that, a piece of cake from Tom Thumb's wedding when he married in 1863.
As the contents of the ledger unfold, there is another mystery that remains. From an inscription written in the ledger, it references another ledger that existed detailing the collection of the Bridgeport Scientific Society. Maybe it too will be unearthed someday on eBay.
Carl Burnham
SouthpointBooks.com
