“What is it that you do exactly?” That’s a question my parents still ask me…
For weeks, nay months now, we’ve been enjoying all the musings from the ghost of Mr. Barnum. Stories and insights from the man himself! Contained within a notebook-sized, unassuming little Copy Book, the European escapades of P.T. Barnum and Tom Thumb come to life, not as a ‘based on fact’ adventure, but as an authentic account of each actual step. This wonderful book has proven to be an enormous historical treasure and it’s been a joy to bring you along with us as we journey with our Connecticut Yankees into ancient France!
I’d like to pause here and give an unexpected ‘shout-out’. The work of a curator is multifaceted and requires a plethora of skills and knowledge ranging from a keen comprehension of material culture and in-depth mastery of history. One of the most challenging missions is accurately transcribing from an exceedingly delicate historic document…it is not an easy task…I know…I’ve labored the assignment many, many times and came out bleary-eyed for the wear. Words that are no longer in our modern repertoire are often used, letters themselves at times have different shapes, and who under twenty years-old can read antique script?! This work is nothing short of an art form and it’s a job for a superhero! Fortunately, the Barnum Museum has one! If you don’t believe me, please enjoy this wonderful piece that appeared in this week’s Ridgefield Press about our very own Adrienne Saint-Pierre!
A special thanks to all the amazing, dedicated museum curators, educators, docents and all museum workers who continue to tirelessly work through Covid to ensure our art, our culture and our humanities are preserved and virtually available during this time – enriching, entertaining and teaching us with these marvelous treasures of the past. And a very special thank you to Adrienne for keeping Mr. Barnum and all of his adventures alive in our imaginations! We look forward to next week!
Stay safe, stay strong,
Kathleen Maher,
Executive Director