Newspaper: Centerfold of Harper's Weekly, "View of Broadway, Opposite Fulton Street, New York," with Barnum's American Museum in the background, Feb. 1860
Illustration
February 1860 (Date manufactured/created)
Paper Documentary Artifact
16 in H
X
21.5 in W
View of Broadway, Opposite Fulton Street, New York City is a centerfold illustration from Harper's Weekly, February 18, 1860, showing a bustling crowd near Barnum's American Museum. It is a winter street scene, with sleighs, sledges, and people on foot. The American Museum is on the left and is readily identified by its large sign and the numerous flags adorning the building, the oval plaques between the windows illustrating the wild animals to be seen inside, and a very large banner, a type called a transparency, depicting a large seal, probably one of Barnum's star attractions, "Ned the Learned Seal." To the right of the museum are various smaller buildings with an assortment of signs advertising hats, billiard balls, and other goods. A column on the following page entitled "Broadway, Opposite Fulton Street" describes the illustrated scene. The remainder of the text does not relate to Barnum's American Museum.
Barnum's American Museum was located at the corner of Broadway and Ann Street from 1841 to 1865 until it was destroyed by a fire. Barnum re-opened at 539-541 Broadway a few months later, but that building too was destroyed by a fire in 1868. The displays in the museum ranged from dioramas of places such as Niagara falls and the American plains, various animals including whales and trained seals, wax figure tableaux, performers, theatrical performances, inventions, scientific specimens, and curious artefacts. Thousands of items were displayed. Barnum also included what were then called humbugs, similar to hoaxes but done in the spirit of fun rather than as cruel jokes. Barnum promoted these heavily, and invited the public to decide for themselves if the objects in question were authentic or not. Among the most famous was his FeJee Mermaid, an ugly creature that was half monkey, half fish, and not at all what people imagined a mermaid to look like.
Barnum's American Museum was located at the corner of Broadway and Ann Street from 1841 to 1865 until it was destroyed by a fire. Barnum re-opened at 539-541 Broadway a few months later, but that building too was destroyed by a fire in 1868. The displays in the museum ranged from dioramas of places such as Niagara falls and the American plains, various animals including whales and trained seals, wax figure tableaux, performers, theatrical performances, inventions, scientific specimens, and curious artefacts. Thousands of items were displayed. Barnum also included what were then called humbugs, similar to hoaxes but done in the spirit of fun rather than as cruel jokes. Barnum promoted these heavily, and invited the public to decide for themselves if the objects in question were authentic or not. Among the most famous was his FeJee Mermaid, an ugly creature that was half monkey, half fish, and not at all what people imagined a mermaid to look like.
Museum Purchase
2015.008.001