Greetings, everyone!
Here in Connecticut we are feeling a hint of Fall in the air, closing out an unusually hot summer. Our thoughts are with those living on the West Coast, in areas that have been coping with extreme heat this summer, and now raging wildfires and smoke-filled skies. We earnestly hope for everyone’s safety and a swift end to the fires.
This week’s blog explores P. T. Barnum’s American Museum curiosities—which means just about everything in his museum. As you will see, he was always on the hunt for new and unusual things to interest his audiences and being in France afforded new opportunities, which we learn about in his letters. With my own passion for our historic Barnum Museum building (originally the Barnum Institute of Science and History) this story reminds me of the natural history, historical, and archaeological collections that were displayed in our museum space when it opened in 1893, continuing for decades after to interest and educate visitors. We still have some of those original collections!
I hope you enjoy the last days of summer, and continue to stay safe and strong,
Kathleen Maher,
Executive Director