Sunday, February 10, 2008

General Tom Thumb

This is a photograph of Charles Stratton (AKA General Tom Thumb) and wife Lavinia Warren. Charles was a famous performer for notorious showman P. T. Barnum. Charles stood just 25 inches high and weighed 16 pounds when he began working for Barnum. Charles Stratton and Lavina Warren were married on this day in 1863. Following the wedding, the newlyweds were received by President Lincoln at the Whitehouse.

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1 comment:

  1. Barnum was certainly very famous, but I reject entirely your "notorious" label. At least as far as I am concerned, his greatest act by far was in his public rejection of slavery. About that, this is what he said: "A human soul is not to be trifled with. It may inhabit the body of a Chinaman, a Turk, an Arab or a Hotentot - it is still an immortal spirit!" (see Wikipedia link below)

    Charles Sherwood Stratton ("General Tom Thumb") was a fascinating character, very learned and a brilliant and extremely shrewd businessman (he actually rescued Barnum from bankruptcy on one occasion).

    More on Barnum

    http://tinyurl.com/yobhwp

    And General Tom Thumb

    http://tinyurl.com/247fye

    A fascinating account from Harper's Weekly of Tom Thumb's wedding:

    http://tinyurl.com/2zqtze

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