Furniture: Miniature bed made for Charles S. Stratton and M. Lavinia Warren
Furniture
M. Lavinia Warren (associated with)
Charles S. Stratton (General Tom Thumb)
Southworth, Mary (associated with)
Charles S. Stratton (General Tom Thumb)
Southworth, Mary (associated with)
1863 – 1865 (Date manufactured/created)
Measurement Notes: Headboard is 42.5 inches high and 43 inches wide across the front. The side board is 15 inches high at the end, 11 inches high at the center, and 45 inches wide across the front.
Miniature double bed said to have been a wedding gift from P. T. Barnum to Charles S. Stratton and his bride M. Lavinia Warren upon the couple’s marriage in 1863. The couple was popularly known as "Gen. and Mrs. Tom Thumb," based on the stage name given to Stratton when he first began working for P. T. Barnum. The bedstead consists of four pieces: the headboard, footboard, and two side rails, which are assembled together with wooden pegs or dowels that fit into holes on the opposing piece. The type of wood is broadly identified as rosewood, an imported wood highly prized for furniture because of its rich coloring, density and strength, and its ability to take a high polish. The bed was hand-carved in the American Rococo Revival style, fashionable in the mid-1800s. "Rococo" refers to an artistic style that is highly ornamental, the opposite of simple modern design. It originated in the 1600s in Europe, but the style has been "revived" several time in more recent centuries including the mid-1800s. Rococo style furniture often features prominent, dimensional carving, typically including flowers and fruit or designs based on such shapes. The overall silhouette is curvilinear rather than angular. The carving on this bed includes medallions, long stems with leaves and flowers, and roses. Notably the roses are carved with stems, which is uncommon. No definite attribution to the maker has been made at this point, but reasonable possibilities are a Troy, New York, cabinet maker named Elijah Galusha, who was active from 1828 to 1870, or Julius Dessoir (1801-1884), a New York City cabinet maker who produced a suite of furniture for P. T. Barnum's home library in the late 1840s. Galusha's work typically includes "rippled" moldings (which resemble piped cake frosting), which can be seen in several places on this bedstead outlining areas of the design.
The wedding of Charles S. Stratton and Mercy Lavinia Warren Bump ("Lavinia Warren") took place on February 10, 1863 at Grace Church on Broadway in New York City. The event was highly publicized by P. T. Barnum and was dubbed "The Fairy Wedding" because all four members of the wedding party were little people with the condition of proportionate dwarfism. The wedding took place only two months after the couple first met at Barnum's Museum, where Lavinia had recently been hired as a performer. Charles had been employed by Barnum from the age of five, and he was twenty-five years old when he married Lavinia. Lavinia's younger sister, Minnie Warren, served as her bridesmaid, and George Washington Morrison Nutt, also a Barnum performer known as Commodore Nutt, was the best man. Barnum's intense promotion of the event made it front page news, breaking for a brief time the relentless news of the Civil War. The Fairy Wedding proved to be a welcome change to a war-weary public. Newspapers and magazines in both the U. S. and in England, where Stratton had previously toured, covered the story, and included lengthy descriptions of the lavish reception and gifts presented to the couple from companies like Tiffany's.
Charles S. Stratton (January 4, 1838 - July 15, 1883) was an entertainer who got his start with P. T. Barnum in the early 1840s. Stratton's parents signed him with Barnum when the boy was barely five years old, and less than two feet tall owing to the condition of proportionate dwarfism. His growth had virtually ceased when he was just seven months old, though he eventually grew to a height of 42 inches over the course of his life. The family went to live in New York City where Stratton performed at Barnum's American Museum, located on Broadway at Ann Street. The little boy took quickly to performing, and on tours he entertained audiences worldwide, including royalty. Stratton's performances brought him renown, becoming one of the biggest celebrities at the time, and considerable wealth. In 1863, Stratton married fellow performer and little person M. Lavinia Warren (October 31, 1841-November 25, 1919); the two had a happy marriage, and continued touring and performing. On July 15, 1883, Stratton suffered a stroke and passed away. He was buried at Mountain Grove Cemetery in Bridgeport, Connecticut. His wife remarried in 1885. Upon her death in 1919, she was buried beside her first husband.
The wedding of Charles S. Stratton and Mercy Lavinia Warren Bump ("Lavinia Warren") took place on February 10, 1863 at Grace Church on Broadway in New York City. The event was highly publicized by P. T. Barnum and was dubbed "The Fairy Wedding" because all four members of the wedding party were little people with the condition of proportionate dwarfism. The wedding took place only two months after the couple first met at Barnum's Museum, where Lavinia had recently been hired as a performer. Charles had been employed by Barnum from the age of five, and he was twenty-five years old when he married Lavinia. Lavinia's younger sister, Minnie Warren, served as her bridesmaid, and George Washington Morrison Nutt, also a Barnum performer known as Commodore Nutt, was the best man. Barnum's intense promotion of the event made it front page news, breaking for a brief time the relentless news of the Civil War. The Fairy Wedding proved to be a welcome change to a war-weary public. Newspapers and magazines in both the U. S. and in England, where Stratton had previously toured, covered the story, and included lengthy descriptions of the lavish reception and gifts presented to the couple from companies like Tiffany's.
Charles S. Stratton (January 4, 1838 - July 15, 1883) was an entertainer who got his start with P. T. Barnum in the early 1840s. Stratton's parents signed him with Barnum when the boy was barely five years old, and less than two feet tall owing to the condition of proportionate dwarfism. His growth had virtually ceased when he was just seven months old, though he eventually grew to a height of 42 inches over the course of his life. The family went to live in New York City where Stratton performed at Barnum's American Museum, located on Broadway at Ann Street. The little boy took quickly to performing, and on tours he entertained audiences worldwide, including royalty. Stratton's performances brought him renown, becoming one of the biggest celebrities at the time, and considerable wealth. In 1863, Stratton married fellow performer and little person M. Lavinia Warren (October 31, 1841-November 25, 1919); the two had a happy marriage, and continued touring and performing. On July 15, 1883, Stratton suffered a stroke and passed away. He was buried at Mountain Grove Cemetery in Bridgeport, Connecticut. His wife remarried in 1885. Upon her death in 1919, she was buried beside her first husband.
EL 1988.056.001