P. T. Barnum

Broschiertes Buch

The Life of P. T. Barnum

Written by Himself

Beschreibung

2018 Reprint of 1855 Edition. An autobiography of Phineas T. Barnum that immortalizes the showman who hoodwinked customers into paying to hear the reminiscences of a woman presented as George Washington's 161-year-old nurse, the impresario who brought Jenny Lind to America and toured Europe with General Tom Thumb, and the grand entrepreneur of the American Museum of New York. One of Barnum's more successful methods of self-promotion was mass publication of this autobiography. Barnum eventually gave up his copyright to allow other printers to sell inexpensive editions. At the end of the 19th century the number of copies printed was second only to the New Testament in North America. Often referred to as the "Prince of Humbugs," Barnum saw nothing wrong in entertainers or vendors using hoaxes (or "humbug," as he termed it) in promotional material, as long as the public was getting value for money. However, he was contemptuous of those who made money through fraudulent deceptions, especially the spiritualist mediums popular in his day.

Autor

The American showman, businessman, and politician Phineas Taylor Barnum (July 5, 1810 - April 7, 1891) is best known for his promotion of well-known hoaxes and for co-founding the Barnum & Bailey Circus (1871-2017) with James Anthony Bailey. Although he declared himself: "I am a showman by profession... and all the gilding shall make nothing else of me," he was also a novelist, publisher, and philanthropist. His personal objective, according to his detractors, was "to fill his own coffers with cash." The proverb "There's a sucker born every minute" is often attributed to him, despite the lack of any documentation to support this. Before relocating to New York City in 1834, Barnum launched a weekly newspaper in his early twenties and started a small business. He began his career in show business by joining "Barnum's Grand Scientific and Musical Theater," a variety troupe, and shortly after that, he bought Scudder's American Museum, which he renamed after himself. He promoted hoaxes and human oddities like the Fiji mermaid and General Tom Thumb using the museum as a platform.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Martino Fine Books
• Seitenzahl: 370
• Erscheinungstermin: 25. April 2018
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 234mm x 156mm x 22mm
• Gewicht: 629g
• ISBN-13: 9781684222124
• ISBN-10: 1684222125
• Artikelnr.: 52491975