Textile: Black wool suit belonging to Charles S. Stratton (General Tom Thumb)
Charles S. Stratton (General Tom Thumb)
Southworth, Mary (associated with)
Unknown creator, American (created by)
Southworth, Mary (associated with)
Unknown creator, American (created by)
1844 (Date manufactured/created)
Measurement Notes: (Jacket: 15"H; 8 1/4" width at waist) (pants: 9.5" width at waist; waist to stirrup: 18")
Two-piece suit of black wool lined in silk, worn by Charles S. Stratton, better known by his stage name General Tom Thumb. The suit was worn by Stratton when he was a young child, and was on a three-year tour of Europe with showman P. T. Barnum in the mid-1840s.
When Stratton was 5, Barnum hired the Bridgeport, Connecticut, native, bringing him to the American Museum in New York City in 1843, where he was taught to act and perform. Stratton's innate talent and engaging personality quickly launched his career. A year later, Barnum took him to Europe where he was introduced to heads of state, royalty, members of the aristocracy, as well as thousands of ordinary people. Stratton's audiences with Queen Victoria were the talk of the town, as she greatly enjoyed his entertaining manner.
Stratton gave character performances in a variety of costumes, but this black suit represents clothing of his "real life," not stage attire. However, it is not typical of clothing worn by young boys; rather it mimics an adult gentleman's suit. The suit consists of a close-fitting, cutaway style jacket with a double-breasted button closure. The shoulder line is sloped, with the tight sleeves set in low on the upper arm, as was the fashion at the time. The collar is made of black silk. Note that in the photograph the black fabric appears somewhat green, which is likely the result of the black dye changing over time. The coat tails are lined in black silk, but as much of the silk is fragile and torn, it is now carefully encased in fine net to secure it in place. The jacket buttons are cloth-covered. The pants are fitted through the legs and have stirrups to hold them in place under the arch of the foot. The fly is closed with bone buttons, the method used before zippers were invented. The bone buttons at the waist are for use with suspenders, and these would not be visible since they would be covered by the jacket.
In the late 1880s or in 1890, P. T. Barnum gave the suit to the Fairfield County Historical Society with information that Stratton had worn the suit when he met Queen Victoria in 1844. Among the various "Tom Thumb" garments in the Barnum Museum's collection, this suit is the smallest, which supports the history of its dating to 1844, when Stratton was just 6 years old.
Charles S. Stratton was born on January 4, 1838 and was a fairly large infant at birth, weighing over 9 pounds. By the time he was about seven months old, he had virtually ceased growing, although he did continue to grow slowly over the course of his life. He was just shy of his fifth birthday when he was introduced to Barnum, who recognized the boy was bright and could learn to act. Barnum promoted him as the "Man in Miniature" since he was perfectly proportioned, though only about two feet tall. Stratton's performances brought him renown as a celebrity, perhaps one of the biggest at the time, and considerable wealth. At age 25, Stratton married fellow performer M. Lavinia Warren and the two had a happy marriage. The couple continued touring and performing, and ventured on a three-year world tour that made them internationally famous. On July 15,1883, Stratton suffered a stroke and passed away. He is buried at Mountain Grove Cemetery in Bridgeport, Connecticut, with his wife beside him.
When Stratton was 5, Barnum hired the Bridgeport, Connecticut, native, bringing him to the American Museum in New York City in 1843, where he was taught to act and perform. Stratton's innate talent and engaging personality quickly launched his career. A year later, Barnum took him to Europe where he was introduced to heads of state, royalty, members of the aristocracy, as well as thousands of ordinary people. Stratton's audiences with Queen Victoria were the talk of the town, as she greatly enjoyed his entertaining manner.
Stratton gave character performances in a variety of costumes, but this black suit represents clothing of his "real life," not stage attire. However, it is not typical of clothing worn by young boys; rather it mimics an adult gentleman's suit. The suit consists of a close-fitting, cutaway style jacket with a double-breasted button closure. The shoulder line is sloped, with the tight sleeves set in low on the upper arm, as was the fashion at the time. The collar is made of black silk. Note that in the photograph the black fabric appears somewhat green, which is likely the result of the black dye changing over time. The coat tails are lined in black silk, but as much of the silk is fragile and torn, it is now carefully encased in fine net to secure it in place. The jacket buttons are cloth-covered. The pants are fitted through the legs and have stirrups to hold them in place under the arch of the foot. The fly is closed with bone buttons, the method used before zippers were invented. The bone buttons at the waist are for use with suspenders, and these would not be visible since they would be covered by the jacket.
In the late 1880s or in 1890, P. T. Barnum gave the suit to the Fairfield County Historical Society with information that Stratton had worn the suit when he met Queen Victoria in 1844. Among the various "Tom Thumb" garments in the Barnum Museum's collection, this suit is the smallest, which supports the history of its dating to 1844, when Stratton was just 6 years old.
Charles S. Stratton was born on January 4, 1838 and was a fairly large infant at birth, weighing over 9 pounds. By the time he was about seven months old, he had virtually ceased growing, although he did continue to grow slowly over the course of his life. He was just shy of his fifth birthday when he was introduced to Barnum, who recognized the boy was bright and could learn to act. Barnum promoted him as the "Man in Miniature" since he was perfectly proportioned, though only about two feet tall. Stratton's performances brought him renown as a celebrity, perhaps one of the biggest at the time, and considerable wealth. At age 25, Stratton married fellow performer M. Lavinia Warren and the two had a happy marriage. The couple continued touring and performing, and ventured on a three-year world tour that made them internationally famous. On July 15,1883, Stratton suffered a stroke and passed away. He is buried at Mountain Grove Cemetery in Bridgeport, Connecticut, with his wife beside him.
1888.002.001 AB