You're Dead to Me P.T. Barnum (Radio Edit)
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Sep 9, 2023 Historian Prof Benjamin Reiss and comedian Desiree Burch join host Greg Jenner to explore the life and controversial career of showman P.T. Barnum. Unraveling his illusions and exploitative exhibitions, they discuss his hoaxes, acquisition of Scudder's American Museum, hiring of General Tom Thumb, failed bid for Shakespeare's house, investment in building his mansion, and recruitment of opera singer Jenny Lind.
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The Joyce Heth Exploitation
- P.T. Barnum exploited Joyce Heth, an enslaved, disabled Black woman, exhibiting her as a 161-year-old nursemaid to George Washington.
- After her death, he profited from a public autopsy, furthering his reputation as a showman and hoaxer.
The Fiji Mermaid Hoax
- Barnum displayed a Fiji mermaid, a hoax made of a monkey's head and torso sewn to a fishtail.
- This perpetuated his image as a purveyor of curiosities and hoaxes.
General Tom Thumb
- Barnum hired Charles Stratton, a young boy with dwarfism, presenting him as "General Tom Thumb."
- Stratton toured, even meeting Queen Victoria, generating substantial income for Barnum.