Sculpture: Cemetery monument of Charles S. Stratton's head, 1857
Marble sculpture Tom Thumb head
Charles S. Stratton (General Tom Thumb)
Southworth, Mary (associated with)
Southworth, Mary (associated with)
1857 (Date manufactured/created)
Marble sculpture of Charles S. Stratton's head, originally from the monument at his grave in Mountain Grove Cemetery, Bridgeport, Connecticut. A native of Bridgeport, Stratton is better known by his stage name, Gen. Tom Thumb. The head was part of a life-sized statue made of Italian Carrara marble that was set atop the monument in the Stratton family plot. The figure was carved from a life cast that Stratton had made in 1857 when he was nineteen, and the figure was installed after completion, about twenty-six years before Stratton's death.
It would not likely have been considered morbid to prepare for death in this way, because in the mid-1800s, cultural norms regarding death, mourning, and remembrance were transforming. Society embraced the idea of burying the dead in specially designed, park-like landscapes featuring elaborately carved monuments, rather than in simple--and often crowded and unkempt--church graveyards. Cemeteries, as these new places were called, were intended to be beautiful, contemplative landscapes where people could walk at leisure, enjoying art and nature. In 1849, P. T. Barnum was a founder of Bridgeport's Mountain Grove Cemetery, which features elaborate gated entrances, and many impressive monuments. The Barnum family plot is located very near the Stratton plot.
The Charles Stratton statue has a history of being vandalized at least twice. The base on which it originally stood was 30 feet high but the upper part was removed in 1937 due to the development of serious cracks, and the statue thereafter stood at about 15 feet above the ground. The first vandalization took place on June 18, 1959, amid widespread destruction of monuments in the cemetery. Vandals pulled down the whole figure; the legs were broken, and the head was broken off. The damaged body was left on the ground but despite the search efforts, the head was not found for another thirteen years. In 1961 the Mountain Grove Cemetery Association and the Barnum Festival Society raised funds to restore the monument, and a replacement head was carved by Essex, Connecticut, sculptor Henry Kreis. He also repaired the body and mounted the new head. A new shaft was made by Barnum Monument Works under the direction of Walter Tomcyzk, elevating the figure to a height to safeguard it from future vandalism. In 1971, the original head was found by chance in a nearby brook, the Rooster River, by two young teenagers from Fairfield, Paul Roma and Andy Tedesco. The cemetery association then gave it to the Barnum Museum and the boys were rewarded with savings bonds. The original head has been mounted on a dark green marble base for display. The head is well-worn due to having been in the brook for many years with water wearing away at the surface.
The statue was vandalized again in March of 1974. Cemetery staff repaired the damage and the statue was restored to the top of the obelisk on June 19th of that year, after a decision that returning it to the monument was ultimately the best and safest location. The Cemetery Association had solicited public opinions on the matter, and although various opinions and alternate locations were suggested, it was felt that returning the statue to the cemetery monument would be best, since it would be most accessible to public viewing there.
Charles S. Stratton (January 4, 1838- July 15, 1883), known as General Tom Thumb, was an entertainer and Bridgeport Conn. native who got his start with P.T. Barnum in 1842. Stratton's parents signed him with Barnum at age 4, as exhibiting people with dwarfism was lucrative at the time. Stratton took quickly to performing, and he entertained audiences worldwide, including nobility such as Queen Victoria. Stratton married fellow performer M. Lavinia Warren and the two had a happy marriage. Stratton's performances brought him renown as a celebrity, perhaps one of the biggest at the time, and the couple became very wealthy. On July 15, 1883, Stratton suffered a stroke and passed away. His widow remarried two years later, but before her death in 1919 she had expressed the wish to be buried with Charles. Her gravestone in the Stratton plot is marked only "Wife."
It would not likely have been considered morbid to prepare for death in this way, because in the mid-1800s, cultural norms regarding death, mourning, and remembrance were transforming. Society embraced the idea of burying the dead in specially designed, park-like landscapes featuring elaborately carved monuments, rather than in simple--and often crowded and unkempt--church graveyards. Cemeteries, as these new places were called, were intended to be beautiful, contemplative landscapes where people could walk at leisure, enjoying art and nature. In 1849, P. T. Barnum was a founder of Bridgeport's Mountain Grove Cemetery, which features elaborate gated entrances, and many impressive monuments. The Barnum family plot is located very near the Stratton plot.
The Charles Stratton statue has a history of being vandalized at least twice. The base on which it originally stood was 30 feet high but the upper part was removed in 1937 due to the development of serious cracks, and the statue thereafter stood at about 15 feet above the ground. The first vandalization took place on June 18, 1959, amid widespread destruction of monuments in the cemetery. Vandals pulled down the whole figure; the legs were broken, and the head was broken off. The damaged body was left on the ground but despite the search efforts, the head was not found for another thirteen years. In 1961 the Mountain Grove Cemetery Association and the Barnum Festival Society raised funds to restore the monument, and a replacement head was carved by Essex, Connecticut, sculptor Henry Kreis. He also repaired the body and mounted the new head. A new shaft was made by Barnum Monument Works under the direction of Walter Tomcyzk, elevating the figure to a height to safeguard it from future vandalism. In 1971, the original head was found by chance in a nearby brook, the Rooster River, by two young teenagers from Fairfield, Paul Roma and Andy Tedesco. The cemetery association then gave it to the Barnum Museum and the boys were rewarded with savings bonds. The original head has been mounted on a dark green marble base for display. The head is well-worn due to having been in the brook for many years with water wearing away at the surface.
The statue was vandalized again in March of 1974. Cemetery staff repaired the damage and the statue was restored to the top of the obelisk on June 19th of that year, after a decision that returning it to the monument was ultimately the best and safest location. The Cemetery Association had solicited public opinions on the matter, and although various opinions and alternate locations were suggested, it was felt that returning the statue to the cemetery monument would be best, since it would be most accessible to public viewing there.
Charles S. Stratton (January 4, 1838- July 15, 1883), known as General Tom Thumb, was an entertainer and Bridgeport Conn. native who got his start with P.T. Barnum in 1842. Stratton's parents signed him with Barnum at age 4, as exhibiting people with dwarfism was lucrative at the time. Stratton took quickly to performing, and he entertained audiences worldwide, including nobility such as Queen Victoria. Stratton married fellow performer M. Lavinia Warren and the two had a happy marriage. Stratton's performances brought him renown as a celebrity, perhaps one of the biggest at the time, and the couple became very wealthy. On July 15, 1883, Stratton suffered a stroke and passed away. His widow remarried two years later, but before her death in 1919 she had expressed the wish to be buried with Charles. Her gravestone in the Stratton plot is marked only "Wife."
Gift of the Mountain Grove Cemetery Association
1972.004.001