Call Number
CWM Mss 68
Title
Barnum Circus Papers 1867-1918 1.2 cubic feet, (4 boxes one flat box)
Historical Note
Phineas Taylor Barnum (July 5, 1810 – April 7, 1891) was an American showman, businessman, and entertainer. In the mid 19th century Barnum gained fame for his famous museum located in New York City. By the early 1870s Barnum had become involved in the circus business eventually lending his name to several shows including P.T. Barnum’s Circus, Barnum and Van Amburgh Circus, P.T. Barnum’s Great Roman Hippodrome, Barnum and London Circus, and Barnum and Bailey Circus. In 1881 Barnum partnered with James A. Bailey, co-proprietor of the Great London Show. A year later in 1882 he purchased the elephant Jumbo from the Royal Zoological Gardens in England. Standing over 11 ½ feet tall and weighing 6 ½ tons, Jumbo soon became a fascination audiences throughout the United States. Jumbo was Barnum and Bailey's major attraction for over three years until the
elephant's accidental death, being struck by a train in Ontario, Canada in September, 1885.
By 1887 Barnum relinquished control of the show's management, entered into an equal partnership with James A. Bailey and changed the name of the circus to Barnum & Bailey Greatest Show on Earth. Barnum suffered a stroke in 1890 and passed away in April 1891 at the age of 80. After Barnum’s death, Bailey took control of the Barnum &
Bailey Circus and continued the management of the show touring both Europe and the United States. James A. Bailey's died in 1906. The following year the Ringling brothers purchased the Barnum & Bailey Show in July, 1907 and in 1919 combined the titles to form the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows, The Greatest Show on Earth.
Scope and Content Note
The collection contains an assortment of business records, news clippings, advertisement material, correspondence, and ephemera concerning the various circus activities of P.T. Barnum. Five circuses are represented in the collection including P.T. Barnum’s Circus, Barnum and Van Amburgh Circus, P.T. Barnum’s Great Roman Hippodrome, Barnum and London Circus, and Barnum and Bailey Circus. Of these shows the Barnum and Bailey Circus is the best represented in the collection. The collection is comprised of both original material and
photocopies of originals. The collection was assembled by library staff over a period of time from a variety of sources, and artificially grouped into boxes. For example the Parade list, 1903 was removed from the Tom Parkinson Papers (CWM Mss 34) and other documents were apparently removed from the John M. Kelley Papers (CWM Mss 9). The collection also contains European railroad contracts, spectacle notes, and business records relating to the Strobridge Lithographic Company.
Container List
Box Folder
Box 1 Folder 1 Barnum & Van Amburgh Circus, Stock Certificate 1867
Box 1 Folder 1 P. T. Barnum’s Circus, 1871-1881
Box 1 Folder 2 Business Records, 1871-1875
Box 1 Folder 1 Clippings
Box 1 Folder 3 1871-1875
Box 1 Folder 4 1876-1880
Box 1 Folder 5 Correspondence, 1872
Box 1 Folder 6 Courier, 1880
Box 1 Folder 7 Trade card, ca. 1881
Box 1 Folder 1 P. T. Barnum’s Great Roman Hippodrome, 1874-1875
Box 1 Folder 8 Advertisement
Box 1 Folder 9 Business Records, 1874-1875
Box 1 Folder 10 Clippings, 1874-1875
Box 1 Folder 11 Form letter, 1875
Box 1 Folder 1 Barnum & London, 1881-1887
Box 1 Folder 12 Business Records
Box 1 Folder 13 Clippings
Box 1 Folder 1 Barnum & Bailey
Box 2 Folder 1 Bridgeport Winter Quarters
Box 1 Folder 1 Business Records
Box 2 Folder 2 1892-1896
Box 2 Folder 3 1898-1902
Box 2 Folder 4 1903-1907
Box 2 Folder 5 1908-1909
Box 2 Folder 6 1910-1916
Box 2 Folder 7 1917-1918
Box 2 Folder 8 Camel Cigarettes, 1913
Box 2 Folder 9 Christmas Greetings, 1903/1904
Box 1 Folder 1 Clippings
Box 2 Folder 10 1887-1897
Box 2 Folder 11 1898-1902
Box 2 Folder 12 1900 (German text, from H. Sagemuller)
Box 2 Folder 13 1909-1918
Box 3 Folder 1 Complaint Books, 1906, 1915
Box 3 Folder 2 Contracting agent reports, 1914, 1916
Box 3 Folder 3 Correspondence, 1905-1917
Box 3 Folder 4 Envelopes, 1915
Box 3 Folder 5 European Tour, misc. items, 1898-1902
Box 3 Folder 6 Expense Records, 1918
Box 3 Folder 7 Fire, 1910
Box 3 Folder 8 Letter, 1895
Box 3 Folder 9 Licenses, 1904-1918
Box 3 Folder 10 Menus, 1898-1918
Box 3 Folder 11 Newspaper Report, European Tour, undated
Box 3 Folder 12 Parade list, 1903
Box 3 Folder 13 European Railroad Contracts, 1898-1902
Box 3 Folder 14 Receipts, 1908-1918
Box 3 Folder 15 Route Cards with Personal Notes, 1909
Box 4 Folder 1-3 Spectacles
Box 4 Folder 4 Stake Driver, 1904
Box 4 Folder 5 Strobridge Lithographing Co., 1918
Box 5 Folder 1-2 Treasurer’s Receipts and Payments, 1910-11
CWM Mss 68
Title
Barnum Circus Papers 1867-1918 1.2 cubic feet, (4 boxes one flat box)
Historical Note
Phineas Taylor Barnum (July 5, 1810 – April 7, 1891) was an American showman, businessman, and entertainer. In the mid 19th century Barnum gained fame for his famous museum located in New York City. By the early 1870s Barnum had become involved in the circus business eventually lending his name to several shows including P.T. Barnum’s Circus, Barnum and Van Amburgh Circus, P.T. Barnum’s Great Roman Hippodrome, Barnum and London Circus, and Barnum and Bailey Circus. In 1881 Barnum partnered with James A. Bailey, co-proprietor of the Great London Show. A year later in 1882 he purchased the elephant Jumbo from the Royal Zoological Gardens in England. Standing over 11 ½ feet tall and weighing 6 ½ tons, Jumbo soon became a fascination audiences throughout the United States. Jumbo was Barnum and Bailey's major attraction for over three years until the
elephant's accidental death, being struck by a train in Ontario, Canada in September, 1885.
By 1887 Barnum relinquished control of the show's management, entered into an equal partnership with James A. Bailey and changed the name of the circus to Barnum & Bailey Greatest Show on Earth. Barnum suffered a stroke in 1890 and passed away in April 1891 at the age of 80. After Barnum’s death, Bailey took control of the Barnum &
Bailey Circus and continued the management of the show touring both Europe and the United States. James A. Bailey's died in 1906. The following year the Ringling brothers purchased the Barnum & Bailey Show in July, 1907 and in 1919 combined the titles to form the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows, The Greatest Show on Earth.
Scope and Content Note
The collection contains an assortment of business records, news clippings, advertisement material, correspondence, and ephemera concerning the various circus activities of P.T. Barnum. Five circuses are represented in the collection including P.T. Barnum’s Circus, Barnum and Van Amburgh Circus, P.T. Barnum’s Great Roman Hippodrome, Barnum and London Circus, and Barnum and Bailey Circus. Of these shows the Barnum and Bailey Circus is the best represented in the collection. The collection is comprised of both original material and
photocopies of originals. The collection was assembled by library staff over a period of time from a variety of sources, and artificially grouped into boxes. For example the Parade list, 1903 was removed from the Tom Parkinson Papers (CWM Mss 34) and other documents were apparently removed from the John M. Kelley Papers (CWM Mss 9). The collection also contains European railroad contracts, spectacle notes, and business records relating to the Strobridge Lithographic Company.
Container List
Box Folder
Box 1 Folder 1 Barnum & Van Amburgh Circus, Stock Certificate 1867
Box 1 Folder 1 P. T. Barnum’s Circus, 1871-1881
Box 1 Folder 2 Business Records, 1871-1875
Box 1 Folder 1 Clippings
Box 1 Folder 3 1871-1875
Box 1 Folder 4 1876-1880
Box 1 Folder 5 Correspondence, 1872
Box 1 Folder 6 Courier, 1880
Box 1 Folder 7 Trade card, ca. 1881
Box 1 Folder 1 P. T. Barnum’s Great Roman Hippodrome, 1874-1875
Box 1 Folder 8 Advertisement
Box 1 Folder 9 Business Records, 1874-1875
Box 1 Folder 10 Clippings, 1874-1875
Box 1 Folder 11 Form letter, 1875
Box 1 Folder 1 Barnum & London, 1881-1887
Box 1 Folder 12 Business Records
Box 1 Folder 13 Clippings
Box 1 Folder 1 Barnum & Bailey
Box 2 Folder 1 Bridgeport Winter Quarters
Box 1 Folder 1 Business Records
Box 2 Folder 2 1892-1896
Box 2 Folder 3 1898-1902
Box 2 Folder 4 1903-1907
Box 2 Folder 5 1908-1909
Box 2 Folder 6 1910-1916
Box 2 Folder 7 1917-1918
Box 2 Folder 8 Camel Cigarettes, 1913
Box 2 Folder 9 Christmas Greetings, 1903/1904
Box 1 Folder 1 Clippings
Box 2 Folder 10 1887-1897
Box 2 Folder 11 1898-1902
Box 2 Folder 12 1900 (German text, from H. Sagemuller)
Box 2 Folder 13 1909-1918
Box 3 Folder 1 Complaint Books, 1906, 1915
Box 3 Folder 2 Contracting agent reports, 1914, 1916
Box 3 Folder 3 Correspondence, 1905-1917
Box 3 Folder 4 Envelopes, 1915
Box 3 Folder 5 European Tour, misc. items, 1898-1902
Box 3 Folder 6 Expense Records, 1918
Box 3 Folder 7 Fire, 1910
Box 3 Folder 8 Letter, 1895
Box 3 Folder 9 Licenses, 1904-1918
Box 3 Folder 10 Menus, 1898-1918
Box 3 Folder 11 Newspaper Report, European Tour, undated
Box 3 Folder 12 Parade list, 1903
Box 3 Folder 13 European Railroad Contracts, 1898-1902
Box 3 Folder 14 Receipts, 1908-1918
Box 3 Folder 15 Route Cards with Personal Notes, 1909
Box 4 Folder 1-3 Spectacles
Box 4 Folder 4 Stake Driver, 1904
Box 4 Folder 5 Strobridge Lithographing Co., 1918
Box 5 Folder 1-2 Treasurer’s Receipts and Payments, 1910-11