Manuscript: Bound typescript of "A Journal" by Caroline C. Barnum.

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Manuscript: Bound typescript of "A Journal" by Caroline C. Barnum.

Caroline Barnum

1848-07-05

Bound typescript of Caroline Barnum's journal, covering July 5-August 11, 1848.  The red cover with gold embossed title contains a transcribed copy of Caroline's original writing which covers a brief period of touring with General Tom Thumb.  Going from Bridgeport to Quebec, Canada, and back, Caroline offers a day-by-day description of her own activity, family activity, and incidents encountered while dealing with the immense crowds drawn by the tiny General. Caroline travels not only with her father, P.T. Barnum and Charles S. Stratton (General Tom Thumb), but also her mother Charity, sister Helen, Charles' parents Cynthia and Sherwood, and other members of both the Barnums and the Halletts who aren't always identified by name.  For example, a cousin is mentioned as traveling with them several times, but Caroline doesn’t inform us her cousin’s name is Minerva until halfway through the diary. Caroline is less interested in talking about each of Charles' performances, and more in recording the scenery the group encounters and sites that they visit.  This includes not only Niagara Falls and the Genesee Falls, but also places like Auburn Prison in New York when it was still offering tours of its facilities.  These details shed light into what it was like to travel through upstate New York and into Canada, as well as gives insight into more intimate moments with the Barnums themselves.  On display is P.T.'s sense of humor, as well as examples of Charity's noted ill health.  Likewise, Caroline gives an idea of what the young Charles Stratton was like when he wasn't performing, noting that Charles often helped her with bead work for her knitting.  Charles doing this kind of work comes up later in his life too, as his wife Lavinia Warren writes that they often did needlework together. Other anecdotes include young boys climbing through windows to try and see General Tom Thumb, and performance interruptions and how they were dealt with.  Several annotations from P.T. Barnum’s own hand are included, often chiding Caroline for more derogatory or uniformed views on Catholicism.   Caroline’s view on this and several other elements, such as poverty and Native Americans, are common to the time. This is not the original diary, rather a bound typescript.  The original diary is held by the Bridgeport History Center (see finding aid for BHC-MSS 0001.)

Barnum, P. T. (Phineas Taylor), 1810-1891

Thumb, Tom, 1838-1883

Diaries

Niagara Falls (N.Y. and Ont.)

Québec (Québec)

Auburn Prison

Travel writing--History--19th century

Family vacations

Connecticut Digital Archive

http://hdl.handle.net/11134/60002:4024

Barnum, P. T. (Phineas Taylor), 1810-1891

Thumb, Tom, 1838-1883

Diaries

Niagara Falls (N.Y. and Ont.)

Québec (Québec)

Auburn Prison

Travel writing--History--19th century

Family vacations