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The life of P.T. Barnum / written by himself, Phineas T. Barnum ; introduction by Terence Whalen.
LIBRA GV1811.B3 A3 2000
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LIBRA - Special GV1811.B3 A3 2000
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- Format:
- Book
- Author/Creator:
- Barnum, P. T. (Phineas Taylor), 1810-1891.
- Language:
- English
- Subjects (All):
- Barnum, P. T. (Phineas Taylor), 1810-1891.
- Barnum, P. T.
- Circus owners--United States--Biography.
- Circus owners.
- United States.
- Genre:
- Biographies.
- Autobiographies.
- Penn Provenance:
- Gotham Book Mart (former owner) (Gotham Book Mart Collection copy)
- Physical Description:
- xxxvii, 404 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm
- Place of Publication:
- Urbana : University of Illinois Press, [2000]
- Summary:
- For more than fifty years, Phineas T. Barnum embodied all that was grand and fraudulent in American mass culture. Over the course of a life that spanned the nineteenth century (1810-91), he inflicted himself upon a surprisingly willing public in a variety of guises, from newspaper editor (or libeler) to traveling showman (or charlatan) and distinguished public benefactor (or shameless hypocrite).
- Barnum deliberately cultivated his ambiguous public image through a lifelong advertising campaign, shrewdly exploiting the cultural and technological capabilities of the new publishing industry. While running his numerous shows and exhibitions, Barnum managed to publish newspaper articles, exposes of fraud (not his own), self-help tracts, and a series of best-selling autobiographies, each promising to give "the true history of my many adventures."
- Updated editions of The Life of P. T. Barnum appeared regularly, allowing Barnum to keep up with demand and prune the narrative of details that might offend posterity. The present volume is the first modern edition of Barnum's original and outrageous autobiography, published in 1855 and unavailable for more than a century. Brazen, confessional, and immensely entertaining, it immortalizes the showman who hoodwinked customers into paying to hear the reminiscences of Joyce Heth, ostensibly George Wash-ington's 161-year-old nurse. It also unveils the grand entrepreneur of the American Museum of New York and the impresario who brought Jenny Lind to America and toured Europe with General Tom Thumb. Above all, it ensures that Barnum would be properly remembered ... exactly as he created himself.
- Contents:
- Chapter I. My Early History 12
- First Appearance
- School Experience
- John Haight
- Breaking the Ice
- A Debt Discharged
- Living Statues
- Dive, you Vagabond!
- Speculation in Horns
- The Biter Bit
- The Horse and his Rider
- The Crisis
- John goes to Sea
- A Naval Officer
- Pennies and Sixpennies
- Fish out of Water
- First Visit to New-York
- Adventures in the City
- Speculation in Oranges
- Guns and Torpedoes
- Funds running low
- My first Swop
- Vast Supplies
- Corporation Morals
- End of the Bargain
- Chapter II. Clerk in a Store
- Anecdotes 28
- Clerk in a Store
- An Eye to Business
- Jokers' Exchange
- My Inheritance
- Ivy Island
- Anticipations
- An Exploring Expedition
- Among the Bogs
- A Hornets' Nest
- The Promised Land
- Vanished Dreams
- Razor-strops
- Diamond cut Diamond
- Drunkard's Keg
- Sense of Honor
- The Dark Picture
- Credit stopped
- Tricks of Trade
- Three in a Bed
- Traps and Barricades
- Battle of the Spurs
- The Wrong Horse
- Chapter III. Sunday-School
- Old Meeting-House 43
- The Sunday-School
- Eccentric Clergyman
- A zealous Brother
- Pumping a Witness
- Awful Disclosures
- Suspicious Circumstances
- The Trial
- The Climax
- The Wedding Fee
- Doctrinal Discussions
- The Old Meeting-House
- The Stove Reform
- Power of Imagination
- The Deacon's Appeal
- The Bible-Class
- The One Thing Needful
- An Explosion
- Chapter IV. Anecdotes with an Episode 55
- My Grandfather's Voyage
- A Stray Clergyman
- The Beard Question
- A Quandary
- The Whiskers Doomed
- Half-shaved
- The Razor Overboard
- Indian File
- Unique Procession
- The Joke kept up
- Christian's Death-bed
- The Irishman's Dog
- Clinching the Bargain
- The Trick discovered
- Mrs. O'Brien consoled
- Blue-Laws
- The Stage Agent
- Dodging the Deacons
- Stretching the Legs
- Jehn's Consternation
- A Dry Season
- The Miller's Trial
- The Verdict
- Old Bob
- Bob in the Bogs
- The Rider afoot
- A Slave for Life
- Marking the Value
- Chapter V. A Batch of Incidents 74
- Money-making
- Lotteries
- An attractive Scheme
- No Blanks
- Small Prizes
- Predecessors in Humbug
- Cutting up Bacon
- Out of Breath
- An off Ox
- White-faced Rum
- A Pillar in the Church
- A Fish Story
- The Tables turned
- Taking the Census
- Quick Work
- Hieroglyphies
- A Strange Name
- Taking an Oath
- Button Moulds
- The Tin Peddler
- Trading in Whetstones
- The Difference
- Materials for my Book
- The Wood Chopper
- Excitement increases
- The wonderful Bean
- A Joke foreclosed
- Death of my Father
- A Trade in Bottles
- My Lottery
- Bottles and Skimmers
- Lots of Tin
- Doggerel
- Mysterious Stockings
- Curious Coincidence
- An Act of "Charity"
- Queer Symptoms
- Tit for Tat
- Trade in Russia
- Comedy of Errors
- The Fun flies
- The Explanation
- Filling Rum Bottles
- The Old Pensioners
- The Duel
- A Dead Shot
- Chapter VI. Incidents and Various Schemes 106
- A Toe-string
- Spirit of Speculation
- On my own Hook
- Youthful Restlessness
- Successful Experiment
- Extending Business
- Swearing out the Balance
- Seeing the Elephant
- Forcing a Settlement
- Pettifogging
- The Speech Spoiled
- My Maiden Plea
- A Cheap Wedding
- The Disappointed Squire
- The Quack Dentist
- Geese Feathers
- Consultation
- The Love-Letter
- Vinegar and Honey
- Poetical Appeal
- Tender-lines
- The Compromise
- Extravagant Living
- A Close Shave
- Useful Information
- Facts and Figures
- The Lottery Mania
- Plot and Counterplot
- My Marriage
- The Irish Peddler
- The Mock Trial
- Motion to Adjourn
- A Real Lawyer
- A Seattering Court
- Judge Parsons
- House-keeping
- Religious Excitement
- Sectarian Politics
- The Herald of Freedom
- The Libel Suit
- In Jail
- The Day of Jubilee
- Balancing Accounts
- Chapter VII. Struggling
- Joice Heth
- Vivalla 142
- Removal to New-York
- Tempting Advertisements
- Seeking Employment
- Disappointment
- Darrow and the Shirt
- Missed a Figure
- Joice Heth
- My First Interview
- Bill of Sale
- I Purchase Joice
- The Contract
- Exhibition at Niblo's
- Management
- Notices of the Press
- Lawrie Todd
- Ancient Hymns
- Joice in Boston
- Maelzel
- Important Discovery
- A Ludicrous Incident
- Signor Vivalla
- My Second Show
- Washington City
- Scene in the Senate
- Anne Royall
- A Tempest of Wrath
- The Paul Pry
- Proposed Speculation
- Pawning my Watch
- The Challenge
- A Crotchet
- Private Interview
- Great Excitement
- Trial of Skill
- The Moral
- Death of Joice
- Post-Mortem Examination
- A Statement
- Lyman's Hoax
- Newspaper Controversy
- False History
- My Object
- Chapter VIII. The Travelling Circus 177
- Our First Performance
- Incident in Church
- Old Turner
- A Disagreeable Joke
- Tar and Feathers
- The Wrong Customer
- Fast Board
- A Crammed Company
- Arithmetical Puzzles
- Sorrowful Parting
- Speech in a Grove
- Serious Reflections
- The Dead-head Sheriff
- Sharp Dodging
- Conspiracy Defeated
- Contracted Quarters
- A Perilous Journey
- Vivalla and the Indian
- Courage oozed out
- The Egg Trick
- A Discomfited Juggler
- Yankee Munchausen
- The Mysterious Boots
- A Long Nap
- Living Mummies
- My Uncle's Number
- Legs by the Bushel
- Bad Luck
- A Friend in Need
- A Hasty Wedding
- A Sudden Departure
- Advertising for a Pariner
- Curious Propositions
- A new Business
- Remnants of my Capital
- A Batch of Recipes
- A Showman again
- Recollections of my Tour
- A Mock Diamond
- In Jail again
- Chapter IX. The American Museum 214
- New Enterprises
- Foot of the Ladder
- Strong Resolutions
- The American Museum
- A Bold Attempt
- An Interview
- Propositions
- Ivy Island again
- A Repulse
- Tactics
- The Shots take Effect
- Stratagem Foiled
- The Victory
- Neck or Nothing
- Museum Improvements
- Humbug and Reality
- Niagara in the Museum
- Taxed for a Cataract
- The Falls in Full Flow
- Caught by an Editor
- The Captain Cook Club
- My Laurels in Danger
- The Hoaxer Hoaxed
- The Fejee Mermaid
- Puzzle for Naturalists
- Professor Griffin
- Ways and Means
- An Ingenious Work
- Preliminaries
- Siebold's Explanation
- Grand Announcement
- The Old Dutchman
- A Sight of the "Mare-Maid"
- Mermaid and Cigar
- The Professor Nonplussed
- Striking the Flag
- Receipts in Contrast
- Profitable Opposition
- Gen. Tom Thumb
- A Frank Confession
- Chapter X. European Tour
- Tom Thumb 246
- Embarkation for England
- Farewell Thoughts
- The Tobacco Trick
- Courtesy for a Fee
- A Yankee Guide
- Gloomy Prospects
- Gleam of Sunshine
- Value of Dwarfs
- The London Manager
- Nobility Excluded
- Mr.
- Everett
- Visit at Rothschild's
- Golden Showers
- Lessons in Etiquette
- Tom Thumb before the Queen
- Backing Out
- Tom and the Poodle
- The Prince of Wales
- Royalty and Yankee Doodle
- Fashionable Popularity
- The Queen Dowager
- The Iron Duke and Bonaparte
- The Emperor Nicholas
- Review at Windsor
- Louis Philippe
- Royal Industry
- Field of Waterloo
- Deceased Military Friends
- An unexpected Smash
- Custom of the Country
- A Soaker
- Barber-ous Proceedings
- Brummagem Relies
- Worth makes the Man
- Golden Calves
- A Day with Albert Smith
- Who is Shakspeare?
- Guy of Warwick
- A Flock of Showmen
- A Great Day's Work
- Castle-hunting
- Yankee Curiosity
- A Lucky Pile
- An American Prince
- Suspicious Sausages
- Aneedote of Franklin
- Electric Glory
- Distinguished Americans
- The General at Home
- Twenty-five Cents' Worth
- Tour in the United States
- The General in Cuba
- Raising Turkeys
- Chapter XI. The Jenny Lind Enterprise 296
- An Agent to Europe
- Terms of Engagement
- Misrepresentations
- A Surprise
- The Agreement ratified
- A Cheap Picture
- Preparing the Way
- First Meeting with Jenny
- The Landing
- Water versus Wine
- A new Proposition
- Jenny's Benevolence
- The First Concert
- Enthusiastic Reception
- Petty Annoyances
- The Press
- Receipts
- An Affecting Incident
- A Ruse
- President Fillmore
- Messrs. Clay, Cass, Webster, and Benton
- Washington's Grave
- Shaking Hands
- Extempore Waiter
- Christmas Tree
- Solemn Moments
- Jenny in Havana
- A Triumph
- Recreation
- Vivalla and his Dog
- The Prodigy
- Up the Mississippi
- The Mystified Barber
- The Hermitage
- April Fool
- Another Ruse
- Humbugged after all
- Useless Revolvers
- The Engagement closed
- Jenny's Marriage
- Charity Concerts
- Price of Tickets
- Total Receipts of Concerts
- Jenny Lind's Receipts
- Chapter XII. "Side Shows"
- Buffalo Hunt, Etc. 344
- Moving Shakspeare's House
- Swiss Bell Ringers
- Various Enterprises
- Philadelphia Museum
- Travelling Menagerie
- The Woolly Horse
- Fremont's Nondescript
- His Last Kick
- The Herd of Buffaloes
- A Free Exhibition
- Buffalo Hunt
- Pleased with Humbug
- Circumstances alter Cases
- Monkey and Gander Skins
- Chapter XIII. Temperance and Agriculture 359
- My Temperance Movements
- An Inextricable Dilemma
- My Conversion
- Self-delusion
- The Maine Law
- Temperance Lectures
- A Question answered
- Cold Victuals
- A Man without Friends
- Gratifying Incident
- Temperance Tract
- Agriculture
- Small Potatoes
- Grafts and Suckers
- Indigestible Food
- Importance of Agriculture
- Labor and Taste
- The Merchant
- Astounding Facts
- Pickpocket on Show
- In the same Trap
- Taking in a Passenger
- The Wrong Barnum
- Farming Stock
- The Game-keeper
- Chapter XIV. Sundry Business Enterprises 379
- Fire Annihilator
- Pequonnock Bank
- Illustrated News
- New-York Crystal Palace
- Copper Mines
- Begging Letters
- My Agents
- Rules for Making a Fortune
- Retrospective View
- Iranistan
- "Home, Sweet Home!".
- Notes:
- Originally published: New York : Redfield, 1855.
- Includes bibliographical references.
- Local Notes:
- Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Carleton and Mary Robinson Fund.
- ISBN:
- 0252069021
- OCLC:
- 43246088
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