Photograph: Daguerreotype of Charles S. Stratton (General Tom Thumb) and his father, seated, 1843
Unknown creator, American (associated with)
Charles S. Stratton (General Tom Thumb)
Southworth, Mary (associated with)
Charles S. Stratton (General Tom Thumb)
Southworth, Mary (associated with)
1843 (Date manufactured/created)
Daguerreotype of Charles S. Stratton, better known as General Tom Thumb, dating to 1843. He is posed seated next to his father, Sherwood Edward Stratton. At this time, Charles was a very young boy, about five years of age, and about 21 inches tall. He was introduced to showman P. T. Barnum in late 1842, less than two months before his fifth birthday. He is wearing a short cutaway jacket with light colored vest and pants, and a white shirt, essentially adult clothing in miniature. He appears to have blond hair (which darkened as he matured), parted on one side, and has dark bright eyes. Seated in a small chair with his hands gripping the arms, his legs project out toward the viewer, making the dark soles of his tiny shoes visible. His father, seated on the right, looks slightly away from the camera, toward but not directly at his son. He is dressed in a cutaway jacket and light color trousers, and a patterned silk waistcoat or vest with a deep V front, and formal white shirt. He is wearing a striped silk stock (early type of necktie) under the shirt collar. He has a slightly receding hairline, and his straight dark hair is cut to a length just below the earlobe. A simple gold color mat surrounds the image and secures the metal plate and glass covering within the righthand panel of the case. The case exterior is brown and textured but otherwise unornamented. The lining in the left panel is green silk, which covers the picture when the case is closed; the case is secured with two metal hooks and eyes. The rectangular mat opening and simple case are indicative of an early date; cased photographs from the 1850s and 1860s typically have more notably shaped mats with octagonal or oval openings, as well as ornamentation on the mat, the case lining, and the case exterior. The photographer is unknown.
A daguerreotype is an early form of photography. Instead of the paper-based images we are familiar with, the daguerreotype image is produced on a thin sheet of silver-plated copper. Because the image surface was delicate and easily damaged, a protective enclosure was essential. The metal plate was placed under glass of the same size, the two layers secured with soft metal folded around the edges, then a gold mat placed on top, and all then snugly fitted into a case. The daguerreotype process was in use between 1839 and 1865. Other forms of photography also existed at that time, but daguerreotypes were capable of producing much sharper images and more highly detailed images.
Charles S. Stratton (January 4, 1838- July 15, 1883) was an entertainer and Bridgeport, Connecticut, native who got his start with P.T. Barnum in 1842. Stratton's parents, Sherwood Stratton and Cynthia Thompson Stratton, signed him with Barnum when he was almost five; exhibiting people with dwarfism was lucrative at the time. For years Barnum promoted the boy as being six years older than he actually was, to make his diminutive size more impressive. Stratton's size at birth was normal, slightly over 9 pounds, but he nearly stopped growing when just a few months old, and was less than two feet tall when Barnum was introduced to win. Over time, he grew taller, and was 36 inches when he married at age 25. Stratton was bright and engaging, and took quickly to performing. Through Barnum's enterprising adventures, he entertained audiences worldwide, including nobility such as Queen Victoria. Stratton married fellow performer M. Lavinia Warren in 1863 and the two had a happy marriage, and continued performing together on national and world tours. Stratton's performances brought him renown as a celebrity, perhaps one of the biggest at the time, and he and Warren became very wealthy. On July 15,1883, Stratton suffered a stroke and passed away. At the time of his death he was 42 inches tall. He is buried at Mountain Grove Cemetery in Bridgeport, Connecticut, with his wife beside him.
A daguerreotype is an early form of photography. Instead of the paper-based images we are familiar with, the daguerreotype image is produced on a thin sheet of silver-plated copper. Because the image surface was delicate and easily damaged, a protective enclosure was essential. The metal plate was placed under glass of the same size, the two layers secured with soft metal folded around the edges, then a gold mat placed on top, and all then snugly fitted into a case. The daguerreotype process was in use between 1839 and 1865. Other forms of photography also existed at that time, but daguerreotypes were capable of producing much sharper images and more highly detailed images.
Charles S. Stratton (January 4, 1838- July 15, 1883) was an entertainer and Bridgeport, Connecticut, native who got his start with P.T. Barnum in 1842. Stratton's parents, Sherwood Stratton and Cynthia Thompson Stratton, signed him with Barnum when he was almost five; exhibiting people with dwarfism was lucrative at the time. For years Barnum promoted the boy as being six years older than he actually was, to make his diminutive size more impressive. Stratton's size at birth was normal, slightly over 9 pounds, but he nearly stopped growing when just a few months old, and was less than two feet tall when Barnum was introduced to win. Over time, he grew taller, and was 36 inches when he married at age 25. Stratton was bright and engaging, and took quickly to performing. Through Barnum's enterprising adventures, he entertained audiences worldwide, including nobility such as Queen Victoria. Stratton married fellow performer M. Lavinia Warren in 1863 and the two had a happy marriage, and continued performing together on national and world tours. Stratton's performances brought him renown as a celebrity, perhaps one of the biggest at the time, and he and Warren became very wealthy. On July 15,1883, Stratton suffered a stroke and passed away. At the time of his death he was 42 inches tall. He is buried at Mountain Grove Cemetery in Bridgeport, Connecticut, with his wife beside him.
EL 1988.067.001