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![Letter: Stationary envelope featuring Barnum's Great Museum, Menagerie, and Circus, sent to Saul [?]](https://ctcollections.org/media/ctco_public2/images/5/1/8/42935_ca_object_representations_media_51881_icon.jpg){kind=icon}
![Letter: Stationary envelope featuring Barnum's Great Museum, Menagerie, and Circus, sent to Saul [?]](https://ctcollections.org/media/ctco_public2/images/5/1/8/90890_ca_object_representations_media_51882_icon.jpg){kind=icon}
Letter: Stationary envelope featuring Barnum's Great Museum, Menagerie, and Circus, sent to Saul [?]
Unknown creator, American (created by)
1873 (Date manufactured/created)
Paper Documentary Artifact
Envelope from Barnum's Great Museum Menagerie featuring a portrait of Barnum on the front. No date, but sent to sent to Saul [?].
Barnum is best known for his involvement with the circus that still bears his name, but his circus ventures came about when he was in his 60s. The first show was called P.T. Barnum’s Grand Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan and Circus. Railroads propelled the circus to success, making it easier to reach a number of locations, and the intake was significant. Barnum then opened the New York Hippodrome with similar acts. In the 1880s, he encountered competition from other circuses. A merger between Barnum’s show the Great London Show of Cooper, Bailey, and Hutchinson formed the Barnum and London Circus. Negotiations in 1887 formed the Barnum and Bailey circus. The name remained until 1919 when it became the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey circus.
Barnum is best known for his involvement with the circus that still bears his name, but his circus ventures came about when he was in his 60s. The first show was called P.T. Barnum’s Grand Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan and Circus. Railroads propelled the circus to success, making it easier to reach a number of locations, and the intake was significant. Barnum then opened the New York Hippodrome with similar acts. In the 1880s, he encountered competition from other circuses. A merger between Barnum’s show the Great London Show of Cooper, Bailey, and Hutchinson formed the Barnum and London Circus. Negotiations in 1887 formed the Barnum and Bailey circus. The name remained until 1919 when it became the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey circus.
A Gift of the Discovery Museum, Bridgeport, Connecticut
2003.009.037