Print: "House for Mr. P.T. Barnum, Bridgeport, Conn."
1888 (Date manufactured/created)
8 in H
X
11 in W
Print from an architect's drawing of P.T. Barnum's home, Marina, the last home he built in Bridgeport, and where he died on April 7, 1891. The house was designed by the Bridgeport architectural firm, Longstaff & Hurd and constructed in 1888. Its location was adjacent to Seaside Park, facing Long Island Sound, on land that is now owned by the University of Bridgeport. The house was taken down in 1961. The black and white line drawing shows a substantial, "solid" appearing structure reflecting the eclectic blend of architectural styles popular in the late 1800s. The house features a stone foundation, brick walls with rounded bays, a steep roofline, two chimneys, covered extensions over the steps where guests would arrive in carriages. Decorative friezes ornament the structure. The drawing is titled in the upper right corner, "House for Mr. P.T. Barnum, Bridgeport, Conn. Longstaff & Hurd, archts."
The drawing was printed in 1888 by Heliotype Printing Co., Boston. The heliotype was a variation on the photographic process whereby a plate for a given image was made by exposing film under a negative, hardening the film with chrome alum, and then printing. The Heliotype Printing Company made a wide variety of images using this process.
Marina was the fourth and final mansion built by P. T. Barnum in Bridgeport, Connecticut. It was built within a few feet of Barnum's third home, a high-style Victorian mansion he named Waldemere. When Marina was completed, Waldemere was taken down. There is a photograph showing the two side by side before Marina was complete. The construction of a more modern home was prompted by Barnum’s awareness that his much younger (second) wife, Nancy Fish Barnum, would outlive him and want a house that was easier to maintain than Waldemere. Always interested in new technologies and inventions, Barnum likely wished to have a home with the latest amenities for comfort and convenience. In addition, his wife enjoyed collecting antiques and artwork and decorating their homes. Construction began in 1888, and finished in 1889. Widow Nancy left Marina soon after her husband's death and traveled in Europe. She returned to Bridgeport but did not stay in Marina for long, breaking up the household in 1893-1894.
The drawing was printed in 1888 by Heliotype Printing Co., Boston. The heliotype was a variation on the photographic process whereby a plate for a given image was made by exposing film under a negative, hardening the film with chrome alum, and then printing. The Heliotype Printing Company made a wide variety of images using this process.
Marina was the fourth and final mansion built by P. T. Barnum in Bridgeport, Connecticut. It was built within a few feet of Barnum's third home, a high-style Victorian mansion he named Waldemere. When Marina was completed, Waldemere was taken down. There is a photograph showing the two side by side before Marina was complete. The construction of a more modern home was prompted by Barnum’s awareness that his much younger (second) wife, Nancy Fish Barnum, would outlive him and want a house that was easier to maintain than Waldemere. Always interested in new technologies and inventions, Barnum likely wished to have a home with the latest amenities for comfort and convenience. In addition, his wife enjoyed collecting antiques and artwork and decorating their homes. Construction began in 1888, and finished in 1889. Widow Nancy left Marina soon after her husband's death and traveled in Europe. She returned to Bridgeport but did not stay in Marina for long, breaking up the household in 1893-1894.
T 2016.022.001