Greetings, Everyone!
This week I am happy to share the 15th installment in our blog series that explores P. T. Barnum’s letters written from France when he was in his mid-thirties, just at the time fame and fortune found him.
The source for our series—a copybook containing 750 pages of densely penned letters—is a real treasure. (And we are forever grateful to the Barnum descendants who donated it to the Museum.) But it is also a bit of a stretch for any of us to sit down and read through this volume; as the saying, goes, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” You might say we are turning bites into blogs, drawing from a few letters at a time. Our goal is to share Barnum’s words with you, as we ourselves discover what he had to say during this fascinating time in his life and career. Barnum was a prolific writer, and thankfully his lively letters also provide opportunities to reach beyond and explore the context of his ideas and the events he mentions.
So, although many of us won’t be travelling far this summer, we can do it historically. This week’s blog combines Barnum’s letters with some additional research to enlighten us about the early days of tourism in New York City. Just as today, there was strong competition for traveler and tourist dollars, and I need not tell you that Barnum was as competitive as they come, always seeking ways to get visitors to his American Museum. Enjoy!
Stay well, stay strong!
Kathleen Maher,
Executive Director