Jean- Eugene-Robert-Houdin-

(December 7, 1805 – June 13, 1871)

 “A magician is merely an actor playing the part of a magician.” 

Jean was born in Blois France to a watchmaker.  His father was set on Robert becoming a lawyer. Robert was set on becoming a watchmaker. He had a job as a clerk in a law office for a short time where he spent most of his time tinkering with mechanical objects in the office than writing and copying. He was sent back to his father where he became an apprentice watchmaker. He never stopped making clocks and is credited with the invention of The Mystery Clock.

In the 1820’s he saved his money to purchase a 2 column set of books, Treatise on Clockmaking, written by Ferdinand Berthoud. In a twist of fate upon returning home he discovered 

Not the books he had saved for but a 2 volume set on magic called Scientific Amusements.

The books had a fault. They explained the principle behind the trick but not how to perform the trick. Without the benefit of our modern magic, the internet. Robert went to take lessons from a local fair and party magician named, Maous from Blois (side note Maous from Blois was a foot doctor when not performing at parties). 

Jean learned sleight of hand and dexterity but the most important lesson he learned was repetition and discipline. I have researched many magicians and a constant theme is they are never without their trade. If they are a card magician you will never see them without a deck that they are working with. 

Jean also learned that it is crucial to still make money even while pursuing one’s passions. He opened a watchmakers shop and performed in his spare time.

Jean met and married Josephe Cicle Houdin. He took her last name and hyphenated his Robert- Houdin in 1830. They moved to Paris where Jean worked in his father in laws watchmaking shop and he found a group of magicians at the shop Rue Richelieu.

He married his love of mechanisms with an interest in automatons creating a singing bird, a dancer on a tightrope, and an automaton that wrote and drew. This was later sold to P.T. Barnum.

Using his knowledge of engineering he created amazing props and made stories out of magic creating character plot tension and resolution in his acts.

His props were nothing short of engineering marvels creating illusions that were not only beautiful but told stories from the growing an orange tree in a pot to the levitation of his son.

His acts and his ability to create a narrative play from magic changed the way magic was performed to this day. Magic had become high entertainment and not a way for a magician to claim special powers. Magic was to awe and delight. It was an age of Darwin and reason and Houdin’s magic played into science and engineering of the age, not the superstition. 

To further prove this point he did not dress as magicians had before. No long robes embroidered with strange symbols. He dressed as the members of his audience would have done. Coattails, top hat, and gloves 

His first show was in his estimation a disaster. On July 3, 1845 he performed the “Soirees Fantastiques.”

On the verge of a nervous breakdown he told a friend of his failure. His friend agreed with him. It was silly and ridiculous. This harshness gave Jean the kick up the backside he needed to try again.

Jean had tremendous success both as an inventor of new and amazing illusions and by selling his magic tricks to other magicians. His style of having tricks build upon tricks to create a story is still used to this day. His influence on other magicians of his time and directly after can not be overstated. The most famous being Houdini who in 1891 took on the last name.

In an interesting side not after he retired at 48 he was called upon by Napoleon the third to use his magic to pacify a tribe in Algeria.

If you have ever seen a movie called Hugo you might have heard a few things that make you think of the movie. Here is why. In 1888 after his death, his widow sold his theatre to Georges Melies. A magician himself, though history mostly remembers him for his contributions to movie making and pioneering stop motion effects.

Resources

https://esoterx.com/2014/09/16/the-algerian-war-of-the-wizards-jean-eugene-robert-houdin-vs-the-marabouts/

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1926-03132-001

http://www.ptbarnum.org/humbugs.html

Magic Is Dead Ian Frisch

Hiding the Elephant

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visit www.owlandtwine.com to sign up for our newsletter and see the images discussed in the podcast.

A for kids history podcast in 10 minutes. This week the emperor of America, Edward Norton. Hailed by the San Francisco Chronicle to the New York Times. Edward Norton was a visionary of the gold rush who made decrees from equal rights to building the Bay Bridge. Lauded as the only emperor to shed no blood.

Emperor Norton the King of America

Did you know America had a king? This is one of my favorite stories in history and it happened in San Francisco California in the late 1880’s. The reason this is one of my favorite tales from history is that usually when someone decides they are going to grab for power they are usually doing it for POWER. There is a fight of varying degrees of awful for everyone involved. This is not that story. Emperor Norton was a visionary and you will see his vision for this country and the state of California was ahead of its’ time. This is a story of a fortune lost, some very good ideas, a two VERY good dogs, and a dear friend named Mark Twain

Joshua Norton was born in 1818 or 1819 in Britain migrating to San Francisco for the gold rush in 1849. He invested heavily in real estate growing a $40,000 investment into a quarter of a million dollars. Due to a bad deal in rice he became bankrupted and disappeared for a small while.

When he came back he came bak in a big way. On September 17, 1859, a most unusual decree appeared in the San Francisco Bulletin newspaper. In grandiloquent fashion, the message stated, “At the peremptory request and desire of a large majority of the citizens…I, Joshua Norton…declare and proclaim myself Emperor of these United States.” It went on to command representatives from all the states to convene in the Bay Area, “to make such alterations in the existing laws of the Union as may ameliorate the evils under which the country is laboring.” The edict was signed, “NORTON I, Emperor of the United States.”

Mr. Norton was usually dressed in an epaulette-adorned Navy coat, an ostrich feather-plumed hat and occasionally carrying a military saber, the delightfully eccentric “Emperor Norton I”

He lived by the kindest of restaurants that would take the currency he made. Many of the citizens would bow and tourists would collect his currency as a keepsake. There were Emperor Norton dolls. Theatre owners would save him a seat for opening nights. San Francisco’s directory listed his occupation as Emperor.

The San Francisco newspapers knew they had found gold and would print each of the emperor’s proclamations with great fanfare. . When an overzealous police officer once dared to arrest the Emperor on charges of vagrancy, the city’s newspapers responded with outrage. One writer defended him as a local institution, arguing, “since he has worn the Imperial purple [he] has shed no blood, robbed nobody, and despoiled the country of no one, which is more than can be said for his fellows in that line.” The Emperor was quickly released, and from then on, the city’s lawmen saluted whenever they encountered him on the street.

In October 1859, declared, “fraud and corruption prevent a fair and proper expression of the public voice…in consequence of which, we do hereby abolish Congress.”

"He's talking about how African-Americans should have the right to attend public schools, ride public streetcars. How the Chinese should be able to have their testimony heard in court," Lumea says. Norton also argued for the rights of Native Americans and against political corruption. (KQED)

In the 1870’s he asked for funds to build a bridge between San Francisco and Oakland. The Bay Bridge was built in 1936.

During Edward Norton’s reign Mark Twain worked as a journalist for the San Francisco papers. Mr. Twain was inspired by the emperor modeling the “king” in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn after him.

The emperor was said to spend his days in the library, playing chess, at religious services , or going for walks with the cities most famous dogs: Bummer and Lazarus. If you hav not yet heard I Can’t Believe That Happened episode on Bummer and Lazarus go to our show notes and click on the link.

When Emperor Norton dies in 1880 he was hailed as far as The New York Times as The great emperor of America for more then 20 years. The headline of his obituary in the San Francisco Chronicle read, "Le roi est mort." More than 10,000 people attended his funeral.

Resources

https://www.history.com/news/the-strange-case-of-emperor-norton-i-of-the-united-states

Emperor Norton’s Decrees

http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist1/norton.html

Bay Curious Podcast: America's Emperor, San Francisco's Treasure: Who Was Emperor Norton?

https://www.kqed.org/news/11652705/americas-emperor-san-franciscos-treasure-who-was-emperor-norton

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Hey all this is Monica from I can't believe that happened and I am so grateful for all of you coming back to the podcast it was a very long and unexpected but I try to have some exciting news I took the time because I was reading a book and I could really use your help on this it's at I will and Twine.com that's the website and I cannot live in some of the book it's also a game and I need as many people as possible to take a look at play the game and tell me what you like and don't like this is completely free if you go to the website www.owltwine.com it's right at the front if he just signed up with your email completely free I really just need to help with a lot of people try this out OK so on to the podcast I i am really excited I get to introduce you to one of my favorite magicians and women in history Adelaide Herman so Adelaide was born in london 1853 to call a fairly eccentric family she grew pretty much in the family museum which I i think if you kind of a cool thing ever I would love to live in our group and the museum she really had aspirations of becoming a dancer and she went about it and some of the stuff meeting with them ever heard usually you think oh I won't be a dancer I'm just gonna have to dance classes treats and aerialist that's like those amazing people in circuses that are up at the big tough and doing also it's a crazy things and that the five things in the air and then she rode in and going to miss pronounce this so please forgive me of the loss of goodness we're going to just Collett a bicycle if you look this up online you'll see that in the late 1800s there were these things are very close so we can make bicycles but they're a little bit more of a steam punk he does I need a very interesting look and I highly recommend going to Google taking a look so she can just write this shit kind of are used it as a way to do tricks is just incredible with how she just always had to perform she is amazing the skills become very important because she becomes a very important magician and before she becomes very important addition please forgive the snorting and snoring in the background of my pug decided she needed to be with me all day today so I'm never gonna be able to edit out that sound and I'm just picture a very cute little pug and the snoring starting sounds much cuter so all of his physicality is really important because she uses as the magicians assistant and then as one of the most important magicians in her own acts herself Adelaide finally got her dream to be a dancer and she moved to New York to be a part of a dance trip this is where is she needs Alexander Herman now he is considered a pretty important and fairly famous magician along with his brother and they had to separate thanks for going on when the United States and when you're off and switch he Alexander fell head over heels for Adelaide and it's really not hard to imagine why if you see her I'll have some pictures up on the show now so if you head over to to the website and take a look I'll have some pictures up of her she was it's not that she was beautiful if I think she's beautiful but there's just things so alive about her and she was so creative and so she's just so smart and yeah anyway sorry I digress but it's she's just incredibly lively DM they together created but we think of as the magician luck so if you're going to kind i like close your eyes and get a stock image of a magician in your head you kind of think the tall thin text Sido very serious long top man and that is what Alexander Herman like play now this is where I get a little squishy and details and I'm sorry it's it's really hard to explain because when you think of the Magicians Assistant you can think of the person is like oh look I'm pretty over here so you don't see the transitions over there and that was what she's doing and she's incredibly skilled she was coming up with a lot of the ask yourself that her husband performed and yes I'm sorry to skip a big part that they got married congratulations to them both in 1875 and it was such a big wedding that even the mayor of New York came I brought a lot of incredible artistic set ideas costuming and a sense of allusion to their act which is very different than the actress already performing they became incredibly famous and wealthy is an a lot of money KMan the problem is a lot of money went out more money would help them be amazing about summer coming in and it became a big grandpa when Alexander died unexpectedly she was left with tremendous stats and a show and as a woman in the routine 1800s I'm if you can't be? If she could continue to show on her own and Alexander's nephew stepped in and he said that you do the show with her they tried to but it did not go well just spoiler if it did not go well at all and they separated and seem like there's a lot of blood and that person leave at 11 stops not important except to say that she thought she needed to try will more time with another person to make this famous she took some time off and in 1899 she's has a solo and it is incredibly successful it is John dropping the amazing and she becomes be "on "queen of magic and the first really successful female magician so if the switch is at 46 and she comes on a world tour and she's not just famous for her magic and she's also famous as a fashion icon and I'm going to just drop in pictures of her costume design I i am a sucker for custom design and what she wore it really start him since a lot of it was going on at the time they said the word select famous female magician and Adelaide Herman would be really mad at me about that she was very clear that I am she said over and never again I should not be content until I'm recognized by the public as a leader in my profession and entirely irrespective of the question of sex so for the breakdown of that sentence if you are misunderstanding face of the words there is that she saying I just want to be none of the fast I do not want to be known as the best woman I don't even want my gender to be a part of the discussion I just wanna be known as the best illusionist magician ever Natalie played with a lot of our types like types of women and stories in her box and one for most famous ask was the Phantom bride and It! have these themes of loss and marriage and you could probably imagine that this is fairly personal to her after having lost her husband she would couldn't get hypnotized the bride the assistant and the body of the bride would raise up and ship has a Hulu can you be kind of thing over at the body to so there is no alarm wires or anything and she did that act if you times in a few different ways and she did the which illusion where she stumbled on the stage just as an old woman and I am should try to reach fire burning in the darkness it was your ride to the fire should diving to the freight flames and see it returned as a mean go sleep at all of this sounds like kind of like hokey but if you think about it during this time of those late 1800s early 1900s before television this to be a shocking and really needing to see the she performed all of these acts which was incredibly physical and she went on these massive world tours of shit who have until her 70s and 1926 there's a huge warehouse fire and that just destroyed everything she had all the props and when you are a magician your props are everything they are the illusions that they are creating are created by the props and these are incredibly expensive things to buy or have felt and everything was gone so you might notice that a lot of the times and I'm talking about a specific person in this podcast I usually choose them because they read they they don't let anything stop them and I admire that quality tremendously she's in her 70s she loses everything again for the second time in her life and she rebounds she she starts a new show and it's called magic Grace and music and it it it pretty well of me you could say the national of other artists your book shows her in final performing years she was she was really an amazing woman and she did pass away in February 1932 and still you know if you can if your imaginary Jill hear about her but it's important to remember I miss people know who Houdini is and was and they had very similar interests in and how they perform their magic of them and they were just as famous as each other so I just wanted to bring Adelaide Herman back out from the shadow so you were and please take a look at the senates I'll try to link as much as I can see you can see certain what I'm talking about and thank you so much for being so patient with me while I was writing and not posting these weekly I will try so hard to be better at posting these I'll try harder not to see him so much so the kind of thing y'all can do is side from going on signing up for reading Blackwater or Manor and Playing Blackwater Manor is to head over to Apple podcast leave us some stars and some reviews this is oh kind of a project of fun for me I'm just really excited history and I hope you guys enjoy this as well thank you so much I hope you will tune in next week and I can you know we don't every case at all for this podcast this is just something I do because I love history and resend it I love you for listening now and all I can think is that must be because you guys are getting some value from it and you're enjoying it and you're sharing it so if you could keep doing that that is just that means so much to me that do you enjoy this enough to share with friends and family are next month is going to be the Halloween month a.k.a. my favorite holiday ever so I can recovery so. From like the history of Halloween movies in the history of horror movies take history trick-or-treating and I'm at so I hope I see you next month and next week I i will think of something else really cool talk about next week

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Hazel Dorthy Scott born June 11, 1920 in Trinidad her parent:

R. Thomas Scott a West African scholar from Liverpool and mother

Alma long Scott a music teacher and classical pianist.

Jazz and classical pianist

• Age 4 taken to New York as a musical prodigy
• 8 given a scholarship to Julliard when the start age is suppose to be 16
• At 15 she started her own radio show and played with the Count Basie Orchestra

As a teen performed piano and trumpet in her mothers all girl jazz band. In the mid 1930's she played at

The Apollo Theater and Carnegie Hall.

By 1945 she was making $75,000 a year or adjust for today $1 043, 762.

In 1943 she began appearing as herself in many movies: I Dood It, something to shout About, The Heat is on, and Rhapsody in Blue

Hazel Scott was the first black person to have a TV show: The Hazel Scott Show

Hazel Scott was committed to civil rights. She kept full control of the optics of her Hollywood image from refusing 'singing maid’ parts to having 'final cut privileges.' She had full control of her wardrobe written into her contracts.

She would not play in segregated venues. After leaving such a venue in Austin, Texas she said" Why would anyone come to hear me, a Negro, and refuse to sit beside someone just like me?"

In Pasco Washington she sued a restraint for refusing her service. The victory of this lawsuit helped push through the Public Accommodations Act in 1953.

The McCarthy era ended her career in America when she volunteered to testify to the house Un- America Activities Committee. After her statements of supporting a city council member her T.V. show was cancelled.

Hazel Scott left the US in 1950's far Paris and did not return for 17 years

Hazel Scott performed all the way up to a few months before she died.

Resources

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1981/10/04/hazel-scott-jazz-pianist-singer-dies/a6a2da7e-afc2-424c-af56-dac992e729e0/ 

https://www.npr.org/2011/06/10/137107329/hazel-scott-on-piano-jazz 

https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/scott-hazel-1920-1981/ 

WIkipedia

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For the last week of Black History month 2019 I want to introduce on of my heroes: Bessie Coleman.

Bessie Coleman amazes me by her sheer energy and rufusal to let ANYTHING detour her dreams, even when they do not work out, even when every odd is against her, even when her plane crashes she takes it in stride and creates a new plan. Some of you know that I am disabled. Though flight is not my dream and the racial struggles and barrier Ms. Coleman had to reckon with are not mine I can recognize an uphill battle from my wheelchair when I see it. There is so much hope and inspiration to be taken from Bessie Coleman's story. I hope you find some of her courage, optimism, and bravery for your adventures!

Resources

Biography

National Aviation

PBS

Smithsonian

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Sources for Ida B Wells: Activist, Journalist, and Teacher: Black History Month

National Women's History Museum: https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/ida-b-wells-barnett

Biography: https://www.biography.com/people/ida-b-wells-952763

NY Times Overlooked Obituaries: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/obituaries/overlooked-ida-b-wells.html

PBS 13: https://www.thirteen.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_people_wells.html

Mississippi History Now: http://www.mshistorynow.mdah.ms.gov/articles/49/ida-b-wells-a-courageous-voice-for-civil-rights

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Robert Smalls was born a slave in South Carolina April 5, 1839 

At 12 years old Robert Smalls’ owners rented him out to work in the town and on the water as a lamplighter, sailmaker, and sailor. This was where he learned the skills he would later use to make his daring escape and when he met his wife Hannah Smalls. At this time Union ships blockaded the South's harbors and Robert Smalls began to plan his and his young family’s escape.

May 13, 1862 Robert Smalls and a group of fellow slaves made their way to the harbor at dawn, and stole an ammunitions ship that Smalls had been conscripted to work on by the Confederacy called the Planter and picked up their family members at predetermined ports. Smalls took on the role of Captain responding with proper signals at 4 Confederate check points including Fort Sumpter. Once they were in Union waters Smalls hoisted the white flag and surrendered to the Union Fleet. Keep in mind Smalls did this at the middle of the civil war. A slave who stole a ship in heavily armed confederate waters and delivered 9 men , 5 women , and 3 children to freedom.

Congress gave Smalls $1,500 and he went on a speaking tour to recount his story and recruit freed blacks to serve in the Union army.

For the rest of the war Smalls sailed the Planter which the Union refurbished into troop transport. Smalls sailed for the Union where his knowledge of the South Carolina Seas Islands was invaluable for 17 of his military engagements.

 Robert Smalls was a large factor in encouraging Lincoln to allow free black men to serve in the Union.

During the war Smalls turned his attention to politics. In 1864 he joined the free black delegates. In the same year Smalls was thrown off a street car in Philadelphia. Due to his Celebrity Smalls was able to lead a successful boycott of the

Philadelphia public transportation system. thanks to Smalls the city started integration in 1867-

At the end of the war Smalls had become successful as a Brigadier General. Smalls bought his former owner's home in South Carolina giving the impoverished family a generous price for the home. Smalls spent his time after the war improving on his education and opening a store and a school for black children.

Smalls ever started a newspaper called the Beaufort Southern Standard.

In 1868 Smalls ran for and won his term in the house of representatives. From 1870-1874 Robert Smalls served as a US. Senator.

In 1874 Mr. Smalls won a seat in Congress. His political career was not easy. In 1877 he was arrested and charged with taking a bribe. He only spent 3 days in jail but the experience defocused him from his political goals, especially with the political rise of the

red shirts. In 1879 Smalls was officially pardoned by the governor.

Sources: Word of advice: This is to the best of my abilities and has been reviewed for information meaning read first before letting children read links.

Which Slave Sailed Himself to Freedom PBS By Henry Louis Gates Jr

https://www.pbs.org/wnet/african-americans-many-rivers-to-cross/history/which-slave-sailed-himself-to-freedom/

https://history.house.gov/People/Detail/21764 https://www.biography.com/people/robert-smalls-9486288

“

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This week we are are going back to the 1860’s to learn all about two dogs who ruled the city: Bummer and Lazarus. They were friends with the King of America (Emperor Norton) and with Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain). The city fell head over tails for these pups and they could do no wrong in the populations of San Francisco’s eyes.

One day outside of Martin’s Saloon a giant black and white Newfoundland appeared and quickly made himself very useful by tackling the saloons rat problem. The patrons gave this giant the name “Bummer” for his very dog like trait of bumming snacks off of anyone with food on their plate. They called him a “professional lunch eater”. A job both of my dogs aspire to.

Bummer was his own dog and patrolled San Francisco. One day while out on his usual wandering he came across two dogs in a fight. Bummer saved the day chasing away the dog who started the fight and tended to the other who was badly hurt. Bummer did not leave his new friend keeping him warm at night and bringing him scraps of food. Soon the dog made a full recovery earning his new name, “Lazarus’.

The dogs became a statewide sensation with everyone fascinated by their daily tales. This was right in the middle of the civil war and people were happy to have a few moments of happy with all of the frightening news. A reporter was a regular at Martin’s Saloon and began to publish Bummer and Lazarus’ antics. The best dog friends were happy to oblige their fans with their antics in many of the California newspapers. The papers portrayed the dogs as people with Bummer portrayed in the articles as a gentleman who was down on his luck. Lazarus however was cast as a sly yet not bright pup. Adding to their fame the cartoonist Edward Jump would draw the dogs in the company of Emperor Norton, the king of the United States (yes, we are VERY much going to do an episode on Emperor Norton).

The two friends even helped the SF police department with their jobs by helping capture a man the police were chasing, tripping the man enabling the police officer to make an arrest. They were even credited with stopping a runaway horse.

In 1862 San Francisco paid $2,000 for a fountain in Portsmouth Square ($49,749.11 in todays money according to the CPI inflation calculator). Though the puppy partners were not the only ones causing problems for this expensive and lovely fountain they were the only ones who insisted on using it as a bathtub everyday.

In 1862 trouble came and Lazarus was picked up by a new dog catcher who was not familiar with the celebrity of the friends. A mob of San Franciscans took to the street demanding the release of Lazarus. Within a day the city decided that Lazarus and Bummer should never be so inconvenienced again. A special rule was passed making Bummer and Lazarus officially San Francisco so they would never be picked up by the dog catcher again.

Sources *these sources are how I do my research. Some things are left out to make the stories appropriate please keep this in mind before clicking*

SF Gate: https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/1860s-sf-bummer-and-lazarus-legendary-dog-friends-12339100.php by Katie Dowd

"The Three Bummers". Tales from Colma. 1997. Retrieved 29 June 2007.

Mark Twain (8 November 1865). "Exit Bummer". Territorial Enterprise. Retrieved 29 June 2007.

Carr, Patricia E. (July 1975). "Emperor Norton I: The benevolent dictator beloved and honored by San Franciscans to this day". American History Illustrated. 10: 14–20. Retrieved 29 June 2007.

A Fond Look Back at Bummer and Lazarus Dogster

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*Show Notes for Barnum’s American History Museum*

Barnum museum The Barnum Museum was arguably the wonder of the world in the 1800’s. If you watched /The Greatest Showman/ you can get the filmmaker’s idea of what the Barnum’s American Museum was like. Unfortunately, I feel like they really missed an opportunity, as wonderful as the Greatest Showman was it missed the live whale, the performing grizzly bears, and the Feejee Mermaid so step right up and be amazed we are going back to 1841 to the marvel of the world: Barnum's American Museum

*Barnum’s American Museum: The history of the museum itself*

PT. Barnum’s project before he made a name in the circus was in New York on the Corner of Broadway and Ann street. 

 In 1841 PT. Barnum bought Scudder's American Museum which began in 1781 and held general curiosities like: stuffed snakes, bison, and a forest scenes. If you listened to my episode on PT. Barnum you know he saw this as a jumping off point. He was also a bit sneak about how he went about getting the museum. Barnum arranged to become the manager of a competing museum called Peale’s Museum under the condition that Peale’s buys Scudder’s. He then went to Scudder’s on his own and negotiated if the deal with Peale’s museum fell through that Scudder’s would sell the museum to Barnum directly. Nice, no. But history does not exist to make us comfortable but to learn from.

 The first thing he did to the 5 story building was to change The exterior into a lime lit advertisement (a 5 Story tall advertisement). 

*Exhibits at Barnum’s American Museum*

The museum opened on January 1, 1842 as a combination zoo, museum, lecture hall, wax museum, theatre, and freak show. If you want to get a small idea of what this was think The World’s Fair in one five story building. Thanks to existing playbills and advertisements here is an incomplete list of the attractions of Barnum’s American Museum

 • then were scientific instruments 

 • Exotic Fossils

 • Relics of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812

 • Precious stones and coins

 • Modern appliances 

 • Flea circus 

 • Loom powered by dogs 

 • Watch glass blowers 

 • Fortune Tellers

 • Rifle range 

 *Pretty baby contests 

 • Ned the Learned Seal

 • Feejee Mermaid video tried to be a little scary if you click the link but it is a really good history. (This was a plan. If Barnum put the implausible in his museum it lead people to question if any of his exhibits were real leading to more people coming to the museum to check it out and decide for themselves. P.T. Barnum uses this tactic MANY times in his various careers from museum to politician to the circus.)

 *Cheng and Eng the Siamese Twins

 • A live Beluga whale in an Aquarium 

 • Giants

 • Native Americans who performer tradition songs and dances 

 • Grizzly Adams trained bears.

 • The bearded Lady,Josephine Clofullia, whose bears grew in when she was 8 years old

 • Adaptations of the bible and Uncle Tom’s Cabin 

 • General Tom Thumb

 The Natural History part of the museum housed: 

• taxidermy 

• historical paintings

• taxidermy (stuffing dead exotic animals, keep in mind zoos were not in every city this might be the only way to see a lion or elephant)

• wax figures 

• and in the theatre Shakespeare and lectures.

One of my favorite stories of the museum was that when Barnum realized people lingered too long at exhibits (making it hard to keep new people coming through) he put up signs saying “This Way To The Egress”. People thinking “egress” was a new and exciting exhibit quickly followed the signs only to find out “egress” was another word for exit. 

At the height of its popularity Barnum's American Museum had 15,000 visitors a day paying 25 cents a ticket. That is 15,000 people a day when the population of the United States was under 32 million. Even the Prince of Wales took time from his schedule to visit.

*What Happened to Barnum’s American Museum*

If you have been looking at the dates you might just notice in the dates that all of this takes place during a very tumultuous time in the United States, The Civil War. In November 1844 The war came to Barnum, who was a public abolitionist, when the Confederate Army of Manhattan tried but failed to burn down the museum. As a fan of history and museums I wish I could say much was learned about fire safety in the year but unfortunately The museum burned down in July 13,1865. Barnum tried again opening Barnum's New Museum September 6, 1865 but that also burned March 3, 1868.

Never to be deterred Barnum used the last tragedy to step into politics and the circus industry.

I say a million times history does not exist to make us comfortable. There is a lot about P.T.Barnum and his life that is not comfortable and does not sounds good when we look at it from our time in history. So why would I talk about him? I just had a conversation with my son about this. There are people in history who have imaginations so big they reshape our reality and what is possible. PT. Barnum is on of those people.

Who from history can you think of who’s ideas reshaped our world?

What GIANT idea do you have that you think could make a big change in the world as we know it?

Comment below and I will read my favorites in the next episode.

Thank you so much to listening to I Can’t Believe That Happened a history podcast for kids. Please hit subscribe and share the podcast with friends and teachers. If you would like to do something really nice for the podcast head over to ITunes and leave a review. I Can’t Believe That Happened is a VERY new podcast so be one of the first to write a review. Unless I get sidetracked and we all know that is a VERY big possibility next week I am starting up the history of magic! Let me know if there is anything about the history of magic and magicians you might want me to cover. Remember to head over to the website and look at the show notes. I have a ton of links so you can see the history. Thank you so much and have a great week!

Research (Warning I have CURATED the podcast to be child friendly these articles are not proceed with caution and read first)

Eric D. Lehman in  Becoming Tom Thumb .

The Daily Beast https://www.thedailybeast.com/before-his-circus-pt-barnum-opened-the-worlds-craziest-museum-in-nyc?ref=scroll

The Bowery Boys New York City History http://www.boweryboyshistory.com/2008/05/new-yorks-first-natural-history-museum.html

Lost Museum Archive https://lostmuseum.cuny.edu/archive/exhibit/baby/

The Shelf Harvard http://blogs.harvard.edu/preserving/2018/06/01/ned-and-fanny-the-learned-seals/

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The exciting conclusion to the story of Charles Stratton or as P.T. Barnum named him, Tom Thumb. In This episode you will learn about how he met his wife Lavinia Warren and all about their "Fairy Wedding".

Tune in next week for Lavinia Warren's Story from school teacher to star to entrepreneur.

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