Becoming Barnum: The Journey to Fame and Fortune

In this episode of the Becoming Barnum podcast, A “new chapter” is about to begin in P. T. Barnum’s business life as we learn from a group of letters he composed—appropriately—on New Year’s Day in 1846. Barnum had just arrived in Edinburgh, Scotland, after two days in Newcastle upon Tyne, where Gen. Tom Thumb performed. Even in their brief time there, Barnum had managed to write several letters to correspondents in America, but no sooner were these crossing the ocean than a new batch requiring answers was delivered to him in Scotland.

Show Notes

BECOMING BARNUM: The Journey to Fame and Fortune
A New Chapter for a New Year   - Episode 25

In this episode of the Becoming Barnum podcast, A “new chapter” is about to begin in P. T. Barnum’s business life as we learn from a group of letters he composed—appropriately—on New Year’s Day in 1846.  Barnum had just arrived in Edinburgh, Scotland, after two days in Newcastle upon Tyne, where Gen. Tom Thumb performed.  Even in their brief time there, Barnum had managed to write several letters to correspondents in America, but no sooner were these crossing the ocean than a new batch requiring answers was delivered to him in Scotland. 

Learn more about PT Barnum’s Letter Copy Book here: 
https://tinyurl.com/BarnumArchive
https://tinyurl.com/Dinnerwareandtea
https://tinyurl.com/Barnumletter
https://tinyurl.com/TThumbToken
https://tinyurl.com/Sherwoodletter
https://tinyurl.com/nywonders
https://tinyurl.com/IranistanFeature
https://tinyurl.com/barnumletters
https://tinyurl.com/iranistan

Read the Blog Post this episode is based on: 
  • A New Chapter for a New Year
https://barnum-museum.org/a-new-chapter-for-a-new-year/
  • An Array of Museums
https://barnum-museum.org/an-array-of-museums/

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Creators & Guests

Host
William Sarris
Voice actor and narrator. He has narrated over 90 audiobooks and numerous e-learning and web training courses, and has been the voice of radio, TV and web commercials and other content for companies like Pfizer, Pepsi, Lexus, GE, and amFAR.
Writer
Adrienne Saint-Pierre
Adrienne Saint-Pierre is the Barnum Museum's Curator, a position she has held since 2010. During the 2020-2021 pandemic shut down she mined the contents of a huge copybook containing P. T. Barnum's early letters, writing weekly blog posts to share the intriguing stories they contain. Her 75 posts have been transformed into the podcast series, Becoming Barnum: The Journey to Fame and Fortune.
Producer
Kathy Maher
Kathleen Maher is the Executive Director of the Barnum Museum and has over 30 years of experience in museum work. She is a noted authority on Phineas Taylor Barnum and has developed numerous award-winning exhibitions and programs exploring 19th-century social and historical themes. Maher is known for her disaster recovery efforts, having saved the Barnum Museum from an EF1 tornado and both Hurricane Irene and Super Storm Sandy. Under her leadership, the Barnum Museum is focusing on new methods of audience engagement and is becoming a global model for disaster recovery and resilience. Maher has made appearances as a guest historian on various news and media outlets, including the History Channel, A&E, MSG, BBC, AHC, Travel Channel, PBS, NECN, CPTV, and NPR. She has also given a TEDx talk and has been featured in the NY Times, Hartford Courant, and Associated Press. Maher holds gubernatorial appointments to various cultural and historical organizations in Connecticut and was awarded the Tourism Leader of the Year in 2019.
Editor
Rui Pinho
Podcast editor for Becoming Barnum, with a strong background in media production and project management. He excels in creating engaging final cuts and has a proven track record of producing high-quality content across social media platforms. In addition to podcast editing, Rui is also an accomplished aerial photographer and videographer. His passion and expertise make him an invaluable asset to any project.

What is Becoming Barnum: The Journey to Fame and Fortune?

"Becoming Barnum: The Journey to Fame and Fortune" is a podcast presented by The Barnum Museum in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The podcast is based on the museum's award-winning blog series and explores the life of P.T. Barnum through a collection of 750-page copybook letters written by Barnum during his travels in Europe in the 1840s. The letters offer insights into Barnum as a husband, father, and businessman, as well as his mentorship of child actor-entertainer General Tom Thumb. The podcast explores the hardscrabble world of show business in the 19th century and offers a glimpse into the life and mind of the man behind the legend. Support for this project is provided by the City of Bridgeport, People’s United, and the Connecticut Humanities and National Endowment for the Humanities.

Join us on this journey through history and discover the real person behind the legendary "P.T. Barnum." Listen to our episodes and follow along as we uncover the fascinating story of Barnum's rise to fame and fortune.