Document: Employment contract between P. T. Barnum and Rodnia Nutt, 1861
Document: "Commodore Nutt" contract
George Washington Morrison Nutt (April 1, 1848 - 25 May 25, 1881), known as Commodore Nutt, was an entertainer who worked for P.T. Barnum. Nutt was exhibited for his small stature at a young age, and he signed with Barnum at age 13. He became the new star at the American Museum. Nutt was sometimes paired with Charles S. Stratton, the first little person Barnum worked with, and later Nutt joined forces with Stratton, and Stratton's wife Lavinia and Lavinia’s sister Minnie for a world tour. He quit the company in 1872, and his own attempts to start a company never quite took off, and his financial resources dwindled. Nutt died of Bright's disease on May 25, 1881, in New York City.
Written contract between P.T. Barnum and Rodnia Nutt, George Washington Morrison Nutt's father. This contract, meant to cover five years, represents the start of George's employment and management under Barnum, and is dated December 12, 1861. It also signs George’s twenty one year old brother, Rodnia Nutt Junior, to Barnum’s management.
This contract was signed when George himself was thirteen years old, meaning that if his father wanted, he could make a decision about George’s station in life without his son’s consent. In contrast, George’s older brother was of the age of majority, and the contract states that his own signature is required in order to fulfil the transaction. It, however, is not present even though Junior did go on to work with his brother at Barnum’s American Museum.
Prior to signing this contract with P.T. Barnum, George had already been performing in circuses. While no exact date it exists, there is some suggestion that it may have been as early as 1854, meaning that George would have only been six years old and unable to consent to this line of work in any meaningful way. What George’s opinion was on the matter remains unknown.
The contract signs complete and total guardianship of the boys over to P.T. Barnum, which may be revoked if Rodnia suspects abuse. It can also be terminated by Barnum with 30 days notice, although he is still required to pay salaries and sales percentages until the end of that thirty days.
Salaries are scaled by year in the contract, with payment increasing over the course of the five years. The boys are given $12 per week (about $325.39 today) in the first year, then $14 ($379.63) for the second, $18 ($488.09) for the third, $23 ($623.67) in year four, and $30 per week ($813.48) in year five. The boys are also given 10% of the earnings from photographs, books, and other items sold with their faces on it, maxing out to be $260 ($7050.19) at the end of the first year, and then leveling off to $12 ($325.39) every year after that. An additional sum is given to the boys at the end of each quarter. George and his brother are free to keep any gifts that they are given over the course of the five years, but all monetary gifts were to be turned over to P. T. Barnum. At the conclusion of the five years, if the contract had not been broken, George and Rodnia, Jr. were each to receive ponies and a carriage.
Practical matters are also outlined in the contract. Barnum is required to provide clothes, board, and pay doctor bills, and unless the illness lasts for more than three weeks, the Nutts still receive their weekly salary. After three weeks of illness, said payments are suspended until they recover. Barnum is to also educate the boys in reading, writing, and arithmetic (Barnum himself claims that he saw George’s education being neglected and this was one reason he was interested in hiring the boy), and to let them visit home once a year, paying for their travel. Also present at the end of the contract is a $500 ($13558.05) pay-on-demand for liquidated damages.The contract, when compared to the November 1842 contract signed between Sherwood and Cynthia Stratton, the parents of Charles S. Stratton (the future Barnum star General Tom Thumb), and P.T. Barnum….[Compare and contrast to Stratton.]
Comparing the contract to those of adult performers shows how self-management allows for greater freedom of movement, as well as improved conditions and takes of the earnings. An example of this is held by the University of North Carolina, in their partially complete April 1849 contract between Contract between Edmund H. Doty and Chang and Eng Bunker Chang and Eng Bunker Papers #3761, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Bunkers, who were conjoined twins from Siam (modern Thailand) had been managing themselves when this contract was made, and had both married and had children. The contract outlines not only the exact hours the Bunkers and their two infant children who are traveling with them will work, but it requires payment of all travel expenses, puts firm limits over times of day when travel can occur, makes a priority of first class accommodations, and likely other elements as well, as the document is incomplete. The Bunkers also require a monthly salary of $8,000 (about 25,2177.78 today), a sum that not only spoke to how much they could generate, but how much they were able to demand without having any other managers.
George Washington Morrison Nutt (1 April, 1848-25 May, 1881), known as Commodore Nutt, was an entertainer who worked for P.T. Barnum. Nutt was exhibited for his small stature at a young age, and he signed with Barnum at age 13. He became the new star at the American Museum. Nutt was sometimes paired with Charles S. Stratton, the first little person Barnum worked with, and later Nutt joined forces with Stratton, and Stratton's wife Lavinia and Lavinia’s sister Minnie for a world tour. He quit the company in 1872, and his own attempts to start a company never quite took off, and his financial resources dwindled. Nutt died of Bright's disease on 25 May, 1881 in New York City.
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