Print: "Iranistan, an Oriental Villa" (owned by the Barnum Museum)
1848 – 1850 (Date manufactured/created)
16.5 in H
X
21 in W
Print of P. T. Barnum’s Moorish revival-style mansion called Iranistan, which he built in 1847-1848 in Bridgeport, Connecticut. (At that time it was technically within the boundaries of the town of Fairfield, Conn.)
The exotic form and style of the mansion were copied from the Royal Pavilion in Brighton, England, which Barnum had visited during his three-year tour of Europe, from 1844 to 1846. No other structure remotely like this existed in America at that time, and it's ornateness was a great novelty, described in detail by news magazines of the day.
Barnum and his wife Charity held a housewarming party in November of 1848, to which 1000 people came. Although the house was promoted as a "must see" for travelers to Bridgeport, it was not open to the public except for the landscaped grounds, where people could stroll through the gardens. The property comprised seventeen acres and included a number of outbuildings, such as a greenhouse, carriage house and stables.
The color lithograph, now somewhat faded, is titled, “Iranistan, An Oriental Villa”, with Barnum's adopted crest in the center, and an eagle perched atop. In parentheses underneath, smaller text reads “Near Bridgeport, Connecticut). The italic text along the bottom of the paper reads, "The Country residence of P.T. Barnum Esq., Proprietor of the American Museum, New York." The print depicts the main house and front lawn with, as well as one of the outbuildings with a dome to the right. Spaced beneath the bottom edge of the image there is information about the home, giving the length (width) of the front (124 feet )and the height to the top of the largest dome (90 feet). The lithograph print was produced by Sarony and Major, 117 Fulton Street in New York City, and most likely dates to the year the home was completed, 1848, or shortly thereafter. The image was drawn by C. Mayr, and the print published by T. W. Strong.
Barnum was extremely proud of Iranistan, and he furnished it with many fine antiques and artwork that he had acquired while in Europe, and had furniture custom-made in New York. During the ten years the house existed, Barnum repeatedly used images of it as a marketing device, recognizing that he could leverage the value of his growing personal fame, not just the fame of his American Museum. Thus pictures of Iranistan appear in a variety of printed materials, and even as a decorative image on mantelpiece clocks sold at that time.
Iranistan was the Barnum family's home from 1848 to 1857, although there were several years when they did not occupy the home due to Barnum's financial difficulties. It was located on present day Fairfield Avenue, where the Klein Memorial Auditorium now stands. At the time, the land was still open and there were very few other homes in the area. The architect was Leopold Eidlitz, who under Barnum's instruction, drew significantly upon the design of the Royal Pavilion in England; a comparison of the two shows many identical features. The home cost $100,000. The mansion, which was underinsured, burned down in 1857, at a time when the family was not living in it. The cause was believed to be smoldering ashes from a workman's pipe, which went undetected during the day, and erupted into flames on the night of December 17, 1857. The structure had burned to the ground by dawn; fortunately some furnishings and artwork within were saved, and a single architectural element was pulled off and saved by a firefighter. The Barnum's did not re-use the site, but sold it and built their next home, Lindencroft, further to the west on Fairfield Avenue.
The exotic form and style of the mansion were copied from the Royal Pavilion in Brighton, England, which Barnum had visited during his three-year tour of Europe, from 1844 to 1846. No other structure remotely like this existed in America at that time, and it's ornateness was a great novelty, described in detail by news magazines of the day.
Barnum and his wife Charity held a housewarming party in November of 1848, to which 1000 people came. Although the house was promoted as a "must see" for travelers to Bridgeport, it was not open to the public except for the landscaped grounds, where people could stroll through the gardens. The property comprised seventeen acres and included a number of outbuildings, such as a greenhouse, carriage house and stables.
The color lithograph, now somewhat faded, is titled, “Iranistan, An Oriental Villa”, with Barnum's adopted crest in the center, and an eagle perched atop. In parentheses underneath, smaller text reads “Near Bridgeport, Connecticut). The italic text along the bottom of the paper reads, "The Country residence of P.T. Barnum Esq., Proprietor of the American Museum, New York." The print depicts the main house and front lawn with, as well as one of the outbuildings with a dome to the right. Spaced beneath the bottom edge of the image there is information about the home, giving the length (width) of the front (124 feet )and the height to the top of the largest dome (90 feet). The lithograph print was produced by Sarony and Major, 117 Fulton Street in New York City, and most likely dates to the year the home was completed, 1848, or shortly thereafter. The image was drawn by C. Mayr, and the print published by T. W. Strong.
Barnum was extremely proud of Iranistan, and he furnished it with many fine antiques and artwork that he had acquired while in Europe, and had furniture custom-made in New York. During the ten years the house existed, Barnum repeatedly used images of it as a marketing device, recognizing that he could leverage the value of his growing personal fame, not just the fame of his American Museum. Thus pictures of Iranistan appear in a variety of printed materials, and even as a decorative image on mantelpiece clocks sold at that time.
Iranistan was the Barnum family's home from 1848 to 1857, although there were several years when they did not occupy the home due to Barnum's financial difficulties. It was located on present day Fairfield Avenue, where the Klein Memorial Auditorium now stands. At the time, the land was still open and there were very few other homes in the area. The architect was Leopold Eidlitz, who under Barnum's instruction, drew significantly upon the design of the Royal Pavilion in England; a comparison of the two shows many identical features. The home cost $100,000. The mansion, which was underinsured, burned down in 1857, at a time when the family was not living in it. The cause was believed to be smoldering ashes from a workman's pipe, which went undetected during the day, and erupted into flames on the night of December 17, 1857. The structure had burned to the ground by dawn; fortunately some furnishings and artwork within were saved, and a single architectural element was pulled off and saved by a firefighter. The Barnum's did not re-use the site, but sold it and built their next home, Lindencroft, further to the west on Fairfield Avenue.
Possibly part of Discovery Museum transfer? Records of old room descriptions list a Sarony and Major lithograph of Iranistan
T 2014.047.001