These days especially, all of us are eager to hear some good news.  It seems that P. T. Barnum was feeling much the same way through the summer and fall of 1845. 

These are busy days! Now that we are all getting the hang of social distancing, zoom meetings, and precisely where our mask fits best on our face so as to not fog-up our sunglasses, it’s time for back-to-school.

When people think of P. T. Barnum, his extraordinary achievements in the business of popular entertainment immediately come to mind: first, the success of his American Museum in New York City, and later, the Greatest Show on Earth which traveled far and wide to impress colossal audiences.

Greetings, Everyone! Apologies for our “silence” last Friday but as many of you know, Tropical Storm Isaias walloped Connecticut on Tuesday, August 4th, leaving about 800,000 households and businesses without power. 

Loyal readers, in case you have wondered whether I am way ahead of you in reading the letters in Barnum’s copybook, I can honestly say I have not been “cheating” and stay just slightly ahead.

I hope you are enjoying the weekly posts as much as I am! The letters enclosed within this extraordinary Copy Book are providing the most fascinating insights to Barnum’s life. 

If you’ve ever seen illustrations in a Victorian-era cookbook, or marveled at the lavish meals served in the Downtown Abbey television series, you may be curious about the fancy foods of the past. 

Greetings, everyone! Here in Connecticut the weather has been like a steam bath this week, and few of us want to think about preparing meals while it is so hot. 

This week in our exploration of P. T. Barnum’s copybook letters from 1845, we’ll head back to New York City from France (virtually speaking) to revisit the discussion of a guidebook for visitors.