Podcasts about barnum museum

PT Barnum may be better known as the loose subject of the movie The Greatest Showman, but his life was so much more than that work of fiction. A master of entertainment, an entrepreneur, and a genius of publicity, he built a career on feeding public curiosity with his grand illusions.  But his legacy is complicated, as many of his attractions reflect a world where sensationalism outweighed morality. His methods, viewed through a modern lens, raise troubling questions about the exploitation of show business. So how did PT Barnum beat the odds, time and again, to turn a spectacle into an empire? How did a fake mermaid, a tiny general, and giant elephant help make his name? And behind all the smoke and mirrors, was he really the Greatest Showman on Earth?  This is a Short History Of The Real Greatest Showman. A Noiser Production, written by Sean Coleman. With thanks to Kathleen Maher, Executive Director of the Barnum Museum in Bridgeport, Connecticut.  Get every episode of Short History Of a week early with Noiser+. You'll also get ad-free listening, bonus material, and early access to shows across the Noiser network. Click the Noiser+ banner to get started. Or, if you're on Spotify or Android, go to noiser.com/subscriptions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For the People hits the road again, landing at thge region's first of its kind Food Farmacy of Greater Danbury - that's Farmacy with an 'F'. We'll visit folks who helped create this unique public health program as well as the facility to help support it and  hundreds of families it's already serving since it opened a few weeks ago. Then we'll head from the 'Hat City' to the Park City for a candid conversation with the director and curator of Bridgeport's Barnum Museum. We'll discuss how the 'Barnum' recently received its rightful place on the National Register of Historic Places - after a disastrous 20-year journey that had more twists, turns, and unfortunate detours as the life of P.T. Barnum himself!

Significant changes in FDA eligibility officially started at the Red Cross has recently implemented. John Godin with the Connecticut chapter explains the major changes and what it could mean for donations nationwide. He also touched on national preparedness month and what to have in your hurricane kit. (0:00) Adam's House is a non-profit organization in Shelton providing support to families grieving the loss of a loved one. We learned about its purpose, the programming and upcoming events meant to support their work. (12:54) Singer Jimmy Buffett, died last week at the age of 76 after reportedly battling a rare form of skin cancer. We spoke to Dr. Jill Rubinstein with Hartford HealthCare Cancer Institute St. Vincent's Medical Center. She explained merkel cell carcinoma and how rare it is compared to melanoma. (26:06) The Bridgeport Film Festival is returning this weekend. It got us thinking about the arts in the Park City. Dan Onofrio from the Bridgeport Regional Business Council talked about integrating the arts with business. We also talked about the latest with the Barnum Museum since it was designated a National Historic Landmark. (34:27) Image Credit: Reuters

Host: David Green Our July "Spotlight" shined a light on 9 quite different organizations in our region who received the highly competitive "Good to Great" grant, jointly administered by the CT Office of the Arts and CT Humanities, designed to help transform the visitor experience at their institutions. The grant is awarded to "organizations of all sizes who demonstrate deep thinking about who they are as organizations, and what they could be if granted access to capital funding." We thought this was a great opportunity to spotlight these organizations, the work they do, and how they will be using their grants to transform their organizations. Our guests were: • Cybele Maylone, Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield • Peter Gistelinck, Avon Theatre Film Center, Stamford • Kathy Maher, Barnum Museum, Bridgeport • Tracy Kay, Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens, Stamford • Howard Lasser, Brookfield Craft Center, Brookfield • Hilary Wittmann, Carriage Barn Arts Center, New Canaan • Clare Murray, cARTie, Shelton • Maggie Dimock, Greenwich Historical Society, Greenwich • Steve di Costanzo, WPKN, Bridgeport

On this episode of Our American Stories, in a big and memorable way, P.T. Barnum changed how all Americans lived. He gave them something to talk about and dream about. Our movies, television, and whole entertainment-saturated culture is what it is today because of what he started. He seems almost a fable now; but then… he did in his own day, too. Here to tell the story is the Executive Director of the P.T. Barnum Museum, Kathy Maher. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in a big and memorable way, PT Barnum changed how all Americans lived. Our movies, television, and whole entertainment-saturated culture is what it is today because of what he started. Here to tell this story is the Executive Director of the Barnum Museum in Bridgeport, CT, Kathy Maher. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jumbo, one of the largest elephants ever seen, departed London Zoo for Barnum & Bailey's Circus in New York on March 9th, 1882. Nationally beloved as the ‘pet' to Queen Victoria's children, for 16 years he'd given thousands of rides around Regent's Park, but was sold off for $10,000 once he started exhibiting trauma - and getting erections. P.T. Barnum then embarked upon a promotional blitz, leveraging the controversy caused by his latest acquisition, and selling Jumbo's image to numerous commercial partners. But tragedy struck in 1885 when Jumbo was involved in a railway accident in Canada.  In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how Jumbo became an alcoholic; indulge in the music hall singalong, ‘Why Part with Jumbo, Pet of the Zoo?'; and consider how Barnum's marketing genius continued to exploit Jumbo's legacy, despite him being responsible for the negligence that led to his untimely death…  Further Reading: • ‘Tragic true story of Jumbo, the real life alcoholic circus elephant that inspired Disney's Dumbo'  (Mail Online, 2019): https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6864855/Tragic-true-story-Jumbo-real-life-alcoholic-circus-elephant-inspired-Disneys-Dumbo.html • ‘My Poor Old Jumbo, Your Alice Weeps for You' (The New York Times, 1886): https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/28/insider/1886-my-poor-old-jumbo-your-alice-weeps-for-you.html?searchResultPosition=6 • ‘P.T. Barnum and Jumbo: The Elephant Story' (Barnum Museum, 2022): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eawirRHsrMU Love the show? Join 

On this episode of Our American Stories, In a big and memorable way, PT Barnum changed how all Americans lived. Our movies, television, and whole entertainment-saturated culture is what it is today because of what he started. Here to tell this story is the Executive Director of the Barnum Museum in Bridgeport, CT, Kathy Maher. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here is the latest from The Year Was, which is that thing I do every week. We are up to episode 177. This time we examine the year 1978 as Lee Iacocca is fired from Ford Motor Company by Henry Ford II, and 1865 as Barnum's American Museum Burns Down.  - Theme music by The Tim Kreitz Band https://www.youtube.com/c/TimKreitzAdventures/ https://www.reverbnation.com/timkreitz  -  iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-year-was/id1458174084  Podbean: https://theyearwas.podbean.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Qdd00m2NWvrViVIfAh6kA YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzWavt8mqXHsC_uRNpU3lQ - Sources: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/henry-ford-ii-fires-lee-iacocca https://www.peta.org/blog/two-whales-boiled-alive-pt-barnums-american-museum/ https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-cursed-history-of-pt-barnums-museums https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/pt-barnums-bizarre-museum-burned-ground-1865-180955955/ https://now.tufts.edu/2017/01/17/great-barnum-fire-oral-history https://lostmuseum.cuny.edu/ - Photo: 

Centuries of history have led us to this point. The show continues to go on. But even though the sideshow looks a bit different these days… we still see its signature everywhere. We haven't looked away.  Want to hear more even though our time is up? The sideshow curious should be sure to check out the following:  Freaks by Tod Browning  The digital Lost Museum Project, curated by the City University of New York  The P.T. Barnum Museum in Bridgeport, Connecticut  The International Independent Showmen's Museum in Gibsonton, Florida Showman's Rest Cemetery in La Grange, Illinois  Freak Show: Presenting Human Oddities for Amusement and Profit by Dr. Robert Bogdan  Louder Than a Riot by guest Kim Kelly, who writes about labor and the sideshow See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Norm opens the second hour reading an excerpt devoted to the life of P.T. Barnum from Robert Wilson's, "Barnum in American Life."  Norm is joined in the second hour by Kathy Maher, the Executive Director of The Barnum Museum in Bridgeport, Connecticut.  Who is P.T. Barnum? Norm and Kathy talk about Kathy's path into her position with The Barnum Museum, her initial hestitation, and how she became overwhelmed with Barnum's influence.  They then transition to a long form discussion of P.T. Barnum's life and legacy, and how his purchase of the American Museum changed the landscape of American history and culture.  Like, share, and subscribe! Norm is live every weekday from 12pm ET to 2pm ET on WICC600 AM. Stream Norm live at https://www.wicc600.com/#. Follow @PattisPodcast on Twitter. 

Norm opens the second hour reading an excerpt devoted to the life of P.T. Barnum from Robert Wilson's, "Barnum in American Life."  Norm is joined in the second hour by Kathy Maher, the Executive Director of The Barnum Museum in Bridgeport, Connecticut.  Who is P.T. Barnum? Norm and Kathy talk about Kathy's path into her position with The Barnum Museum, her initial hestitation, and how she became overwhelmed with Barnum's influence.  They then transition to a long form discussion of P.T. Barnum's life and legacy, and how his purchase of the American Museum changed the landscape of American history and culture.  Like, share, and subscribe! Norm is live every weekday from 12pm ET to 2pm ET on WICC600 AM. Stream Norm live at https://www.wicc600.com/#. Follow @PattisPodcast on Twitter. 

KATHY MAHER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE BARNUM MUSEUM. The Barnum Museum in downtown Bridgeport, Connecticut is the last surviving building attributed to the American visionary entrepreneur and entertainer Phineas Taylor Barnum (1810-1891).With more than 30 years in the museum world, Kathleen Maher is a gifted speaker and noted authority on all things related to Phineas Taylor Barnum. Kathy joined the Barnum Museum in 1998 and has been Executive Director since 2005.In 2010, the Barnum Museum was struck by an EF1 tornado significantly damaging the historic landmark building, with additional damage sustained from hurricanes Irene and Sandy. In the wake of this tremendous challenge Kathy has been the Museum's champion, leading the charge to restore and re-envision the historic structure. Under her leadership, the Museum is focusing on new and innovative methods, integrating history, arts, science and technology to create a dynamic 21st century Museum for the future.Ms. Maher is an active member of the Connecticut cultural community, and an advocate for the city of Bridgeport's historic and cultural legacy. She holds governor's appointments to the Connecticut State Historic Preservation Council, the State Library and Museum of Connecticut History and Heritage, and the Connecticut Civil War Commemoration Commission. She advocates and speaks across the U.S. about historic preservation, urban revitalization and economic development through community arts and cultural heritage, and has been featured by major media properties including the History Channel, A&E Networks, Connecticut Public Television, TEDx, the BBC and National Public Radio. She holds a M.A. from New York University and has worked at cultural institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art.Kathy is regularly sought and acknowledged by local and global media outlets for her expertise and her enthusiasm to share P.T. Barnum's story with the world.https://barnum-museum.org/https://www.barnummuseumexhibitions.org/P.T. Barnum, in full Phineas Taylor Barnum, (born July 5, 1810, Bethel, Connecticut, U.S.—died April 7, 1891, Bridgeport, Connecticut), American showman who employed sensational forms of presentation and publicity to popularize such amusements as the public museum, the musical concert, and the three-ring circus. In partnership with James A. Bailey, he made the American circus a popular and gigantic spectacle, the so-called Greatest Show on Earth.Barnum was 15 years old when his father died, and the support of his mother and his five sisters and brothers fell largely upon his shoulders. After holding a variety of jobs, he became publisher of a Danbury, Connecticut, weekly newspaper, Herald of Freedom. Arrested three times for libel, he enjoyed his first taste of notoriety.In 1829, at age 19, Barnum married a 21-year-old Bethel woman, Charity Hallett, who was to bear him four daughters. https://www.britannica.com/biography/P-T-BarnumSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/join/MinerPatrick/checkout?ru=undefined)

INTERVIEW BEGINS AT: 25:50 To this day ask anyone who the greatest showman the world has ever seen was and chances are they will say P T Barnum. And much like much of what Barnum is famous for, the truth isn't always what it seems. Who was this master showman, businessman, promoter, entertainer, and historical legend? We at Transatlantic History Ramblings bring you the answers thanks to the amazing Kathleen Maher, executive director of the Barnum Museum in Bridgeport CT. And she's a fellow ginger to boot!!! Check out the museums webpage at: https://barnum-museum.org/ and check out their YouTube channel So kick back, enjoy and please rate and share the show..let's keep the audience growing. Thank you all And hey, check out our Merch Store for Shirts. Hoodies, Coffee Mugs, Stickers, Magnets and a whole host of other items https://www.teepublic.com/user/tahistory All of our episodes are listed as explicit due to language and some topics, such as historical crime, that may not be suitable for all listeners.-Opening and closing theme is Random Sanity by British composer DeeZee

Is there a sucker born every minute? I don't have the answer to that but it is attributed to one of Connecticut's most famous residents, circus showman P. T. Barnum. Did he really say it-no one knows for sure but we do know that he made and lost several fortunes, helped to create the American circus, exhibited a phony mermaid cobbled together from a monkey and a fish and that he loved Bridgeport!   Mary Donohue, Asst. Publisher of Connecticut Explored, the magazine of Connecticut history, finds out more about the Barnum's over the top life and his lasting mark on Bridgeport, Connecticut with her guest Bruce Hawley, author of “P. T. Barnum Builds a City” in the Winter 2021 issue of Connecticut Explored. Mr. Hawley is a board member the Barnum Museum Foundation, the Circus Historical Society, and the Circus Fans Association of America.  He is a distant cousin of P.T. Barnum.    The Barnum Museum, originally called The Barnum Institute of Science and History, was just designated a National Historic Landmark by the US Dept of the Interior. Plan your visit at https://barnum-museum.org/   Here's more about Barnum in these Connecticut Explored stories and Grating the Nutmeg episodes-enjoy!   https://www.ctexplored.org/building-art-of-clay/   https://www.ctexplored.org/tom-thumb-and-the-age-of-celebrity/   https://gratingthenutmeg.libsyn.com/gtn-30-p-t-barnum-and-the-art-of-money-getting   https://gratingthenutmeg.libsyn.com/gtn60-special-cptv-audio-documentary-barnums-connecticut-0   https://gratingthenutmeg.libsyn.com/30-part-2-the-1st-ten-rules-for-making-money-by-p-t-barnum-0   https://gratingthenutmeg.libsyn.com/30-part-3-p-t-barnums-the-art-of-money-getting   This episode of Grating the Nutmeg was produced by Mary Donohue and engineered by Patrick O'Sullivan. Donohue has documented the built environment and pop culture for over 30 years. Contact her at marydonohue@comcast.net This episode of Grating the Nutmeg received support from the State Historic Preservation Office of the Dept of Economic and Community Development with funds from the Community Investment Act of the State of Connecticut. Subscribe to Connecticut Explored at https://www.ctexplored.org/subscribe/

For the People is celebrating 50 years of caring for Greater Waterbury with Staywell Health Center, and to let you know - wherever you are in Connecticut - that  Staywell is ready and waiting to take good care of you and your family, too! Then we'll reconnect with the head of Connecticut's Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity & Opportunity to begin discussing the state's first ever LGBTQ+ Health & Human Services Assessment Survey - that we helped launch earlier this year. And we'll close with the director of Bridgeport's historic Barnum Museum touting how 'the Barnum' just received National Historic Landmark status - and details on how you can help support a very colorful aspect of the museum's continuing restorations.

CBIA BizCast host Ali Warshavsky speaks with Barnum Museum executive director Kathleen Maher about keeping PT Barnum's legacy alive through three natural disasters and a pandemic. In 2010, the museum in Bridgeport was hit by a tornado. Some of the 20,000 objects were soaked when the tornado tore through. The museum was then hit by hurricane Irene and Superstorm Sandy before it could fully be repaired. “There has not been a moment of rest trying to figure out a EF 1 tornado impact on nationally significant buildings, with collections,” said Maher. Barnum had originally purchased the building the museum is in to turn into his own museum. Since 2012, a gallery has been open to show the artifacts but the goal is to raise enough money to reopen a brand new museum. That has been further postponed by the pandemic. P.T. Barnum was born in 1810 in Bethel, Connecticut and spent most of his life in Bridgeport. Not only did Barnum become the famous name behind the American circus, Maher spent time in the state general assembly and had a goal to make Bridgeport a manufacturing hub. Maher said Barnum faced five major fires in his career as well as a large financial setback. She said they have learned from his examples of how to persevere through the toughest times. “The Barnum Museum has become not just a Connecticut or national, but a global model for disaster resilience and recovery,” said Maher. “I have spoken all over the world about it.” Please rate, review, and subscribe to the BizCast wherever you get your podcasts—we appreciate your support! If you have a story to tell, contact Ali Warshavsky.

Happy New Year to all our listeners. Hopefully over the next 12 months will bring a better life for all of us on planet earth, although I’ve got my doubts but will try to keep a positive outlook for 2021! We start the year with a superb collection of tracks, his first full-length movie score from Computerchemist, the final two from Andy Pickford’s 10 set RadioSilence series & a new solo album ‘Alignment’. Preview track from Stan Dart’s up & coming album Basilica, cinematic orchestral scores by Kania Wojciech. Robert Rich expanding the sound of modular analog and digital synthesizers into a bright and dynamic landscape layered with shimmering kaleidoscopic microtonal patterns, & our vintage cassette track from Darkside at the ‘UK Electronica 1986, The Final Front Ear’, are just a few to welcome in the New Year. Playlist No 186 02.04 Computerchemist ‘Impressions Of The Fort’ (album The Fort, Original Movie Soundtrack) www.computerchemist.com 10.42 Computerchemist ‘Music For Earthquakes II’ *** 12.00 Stan Dart ‘The Four Pillars’ (album Basilica) www.stan-dart.com 18.42 Thomas Lemmer ’There You’ll Be Free’ www.sine-music.com 22.52 Robert Rich ‘Neurogenesis’ (album Neurogenesis) www.robertrich.bandcamp.com 31.44 Soular Order ‘Absolve’ www.theambientzone.co.uk 34.55 Barry Schrader ‘The Romanesque and Gothic Entranceways’ (album The Barnum Museum) *** www.barryschrader.bandcamp.com 38.14 Barry Schrader ‘The Caged Griffin’ 42.48 Barry Schrader ‘ The Chamber of False Things’ 48.19 Zinkl ‘Maschinenwelt’ (album Tanzmusik für Roboter) www.bscmusic.com 52.35 Zinkl ‘Freie’ *** 56.46 Wojciech Kania ‘Caves 1 & 2’ (album Asavi) https://wkania95.bandcamp.com 01.02.46 Wojciech Kania ‘Asavi’ 01.06.47 Paul Jordan ‘Natasha’ (album Score) www.pauljordanost.bandcamp.com 01.08.55 Paul Jordan ‘Cedar Hill’ 01.13.45 Paul Jordan ‘Super Bloom’ 01.16.33 Andy Pickford ‘Alignment’ (album Alignment) www.andypickford1.bandcamp.com 01.22.47 RadioSilence ‘Gamma’ (album RadioSilence IX) ***www.andypickford1.bandcamp.com 01.33.43 Darkside ’Snakebridge’ Live UK Electronica 1986’ 01.38.07 Michael Bruckner & Detlev Everling ‘Reiseziel Mond’ 01.47.39 Michael Bruckner & Detlev Everling ‘Im Staub der Sterne’ album Reiseziel Moon) www.syngate.net 01.52.09 Michael Bruckner & Detlev Everling ‘Zeit der Sternschnuppen’ 02.01.23 Blessed Are The Hearts That Bend ‘Embers’ (album Is My Destroyer) www.blessedaretheheartsthatbend. band camp.com 02.04.47 Blessed Are The Hearts That Bend ‘Palace’ 02.10.41 Adrian Sood ‘Equals’ (EP Translucence) www.theambientzone.co.uk 02.12.59 Black Tape For A Blue Girl ’The Christ In The Desert’ (album With A Million Tear-Stained Memories, Highlights 1986-2003) 02.19.22 Black Tape For A Blue Girl ‘Beneath The Icy Floe’ https://blacktapeforabluegirl.bandcamp.com 02.25.38 Black Tape For A Blue Girl ‘Ashes In The Brittle Air’ 02.29.16 Mary Lattimore ‘On The Day You Saw The Dead Whale’ (album Hundreds Of Days) https://marylattimoreharpist.bandcamp.com 02.38.26 Polly Fae ‘Sacred Spaces’ (The Secret Language Of Trees) www.projekt.com 02.42.55 Rayspark Industries ‘Colour’ (album Single Works & Appearances) https://rayspark-industries.bandcamp.com 02.48.23 RadioSilence ‘Alpha’ (album RadioSilence X) *** Edit ***

Hosted by David Green of The Cultural Alliance Of Fairfield County. Following up on the Candidates Forum held October 14, in which six legislative electoral candidates spoke about their support for the arts and culture, Kathy Maher, Executive Director of The Barnum Museum, and Lou Ursone, Executive Director of Curtain Call, join David Green in deepening some of the questions we asked during the Candidates Forum – but to those who won their Legislative seats. What specifically will these legislators now do for the arts and culture, how can they include our concerns in policy development, and most important: how can we help them help us?

Charles Stratton, who would become world famous as “Tom Thumb” in the mid-19th century, was born in Bridgeport, CT on January 4, 1838 to parents of average height, and he grew normally during the first six months of his life -- to about 25 inches or so. And then, surprisingly, he just stopped growing.  When P.T. Barnum, the master showman, would meet Charles and his parents, Charlie was 4, and he’d be signed on the spot to play the part of “General Tom Thumb” at Barnum’s American Museum. He’d be given a fancy new wardrobe, a new nationality (British), and a new age -- 11 years old. Charles would perform for the rest of his life as “Tom Thumb”. He’d enchant European royalty and American presidents, and sell out crowds around the world. And in 1863, during the darkest days of the Civil War, he’d be married in New York’s Grace Church to Lavinia Warren, another Barnum employee and another performer of short stature. Their wedding would be a sensation, and would actually knock news from the battlefields off the front page of the New York Times for three days. We're joined in today’s show by four guests: Dr. Michael Mark Chemers is a Professor of Dramatic Literature and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Theatre Arts at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He’s the author of Staging Stigma: A Critical Examination of the American Freak Show published by Palgrave MacMillan in 2008, in which he looks into the career and reception of Charles Stratton.  Eric Lehman is an Associate Professor of English at the University of Bridgeport and the author of 18 books, including Becoming Tom Thumb, published in 2013 by Wesleyan University Press. Kathy Maher is the Executive Director of the Barnum Museum and is celebrating her 22nd year with the Museum. Located an hour out of New York City, P.T. Barnum's last museum continues to stand on Main Street in the heart of downtown Bridgeport, CT, his adopted home.  Although the Barnum Museum is currently closed due to covid-19 regulations, the Museum remains active with social media, virtual programming and a major historic restoration and re-envisioning https://barnum-museum.org/ Robert Wilson has been the editor of The American Scholar magazine since 2004. Before that, he edited Preservation magazine and was the book editor and columnist for USA Today. His previous books include The Explorer King (2006), about the 19th-century scientist, explorer, and writer Clarence King, and Mathew Brady: Portraits of a Nation (2013), about the Civil War photographer. His most recent book, Barnum: An American Life (from 2019), has just been published in paperback.  Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/boweryboys See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

FROM a wake-up cup of coffee to an afternoon cocktail to smoking a cigarette, many people depend on chemical substances for a lift. Thus the reason for ''Altered States: Alcohol and Other Drugs in America,'' an exhibition at the Barnum Museum in Bridgeport through Dec. 27, which takes a look at America's use of tobacco, alcohol and drugs from the early settlers' involvement in the tobacco and rum trade to today's drug and alcohol abuse concerns. The exhibition, arranged by the Strong Museum in Rochester, N.Y., gained critical acclaim and became a traveling exhibition on mood-altering temptations. ''We brought it here,'' said Barbara Kram, the museum's executive director, ''because P. T. Barnum, a recovering alcoholic, was a temperance proponent. He used his promotional talents to make statements about alcohol and drug abuse. In his American Museum in Manhattan, he staged temperance plays and encouraged membership in a teetotalers' society.'' The Barnum Museum uses flags to lead visitors along a time line from the 1600's to the present day. In the first of five sections, viewers are propelled back to Colonial America where settlers, introduced to tobacco by native Americans, quickly spread it to the Old World. The period witnessed the growth of the rum trade as well. ''In 1656, water was unsafe, milk was scarce and tea, coffee and chocolate were luxuries,'' said Yvonne Fosse-Previs, the museum's curator of education. ''For these people, alcohol was a staple.'' During the 1700's Americans are seen distilling whiskey. But by 1784 the Philadelphia doctor Benjamin Rush disputed the belief that alcohol was healthful and diagnosed drunkenness as a progressive disease. Nonetheless by 1860 consumption had risen to record proportions. A temperance movement was born. Throughout, artifacts enliven the topic. A huge Wooten Patent Office secretary, its doors filled with labeled cubbyholes, was donated by the temperance-minded women in appreciation of Mr. Barnum's support. His theater -- like a grand opera house with tiers, balconies, archways and tassel draperies -- is pictured, along with a playbill with the title ''The Drunkard.'' Showcases displayed bitters bottles; many, like opium, were available without prescription. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jeffrey-schreckler/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jeffrey-schreckler/support

This morning John Voket and the award-winning For the People visits Bridgeport's Barnum Museum to recap all that's happened since it was struck by a rare urban tornado several years ago, and we'll learn how the museum's leadership and staff have inspired a global community of experts to help restore and enhance this Connecticut treasure. Then we'll present the first of a two-part series of interviews gathered recently at Wilton Go Green's Zero Waste Faire. We'll chat with one of the organizers, meet an exhibitor who will explain the ins and outs of fabric recycling, and we'll meet a chef who will help you appreciate, and turn a lot of the food scraps you've been throwing away into a whole new and delectable culinary experience.

*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=scrollThe Bowery Boys New York City History http://www.boweryboyshistory.com/2008/05/new-yorks-first-natural-history-museum.htmlLost 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/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jaybee's away this week so it's 100% Shan time. Learn about Jumbo the Elephant, P.T. Barnum, and his involvement in one of the greatest pissfights in museum history.    Resources: McLellan, Andrew. (2012). P.T. Barnum, Jumbo the Elephant, and the Barnum Museum of Natural History at Tuft's University. Journal of the History of Collections 24(1).  https://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/nov/11/jumbo-the-elephant-the-afterlife https://www.biography.com/people/pt-barnum-9199751  

This week host John Voket rings up the Diocease of Bridgeport school superintendent on the first day of National catholic Schools Week to learn how his schools' faith-based mission makes a unique difference in their students' education.  Then we'll drill into the latest American Lung Association's 'State of Tobacco Control' report and hear about how hundreds of millions intended for tobacco education, prevention, and cessation programs are being diverted. And we'll wrap fact checking the big new film about PT Barnum with the ultimate expert - the executive director of Connecticut's Barnum Museum.

       This month, the "Greatest Show on Earth" folds its tent after a run of 146 years. To commemorate, we're honoring "The Greatest Showman on Earth", P T Barnum, with a look back at his life, and a full reading of his still so useful book, THE ART OF MONEY GETTING." His 20 rules for achieving success and attaining wealth are still as sound as when he first wrote them, back in 1858. And no wonder, because as Kathy Maher, Executive Director of the Barnum Museum in Bridgeport tells Barnum was not only America's first entertainment mega-mogul, he was the nation's second millionaire. Consider it a get rich quick theme in three parts, yours for free on Grating the Nutmeg. 

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages -- the Bowery Boys present to you the tale of P. T. Barnum and his "Greatest Show on Earth," the world's most famous circus! You can't even bring up the discussion of circuses without mentioning the name of Barnum. But in fact, he only entered the circus business in his later years, after decades of success with bizarre museums, traveling curiosities, touring opera divas and all manner of fabricated 'humbugs'. In the late 19th century, in order for circuses to survive, innovators like Barnum needed to come up with startling new ways to get the attentions of audiences. Although his circus -- which would eventually merge with that of James Bailey and, later, the Ringling Brothers -- was a sensation which toured across the United States, it always began each season in New York, specifically situated on the northeast corner of Madison Square. Tune in to find out how New York institutions owned by Barnum became imprinted on the basic structure of the classic American circus.  And join us as we visit the Barnum Museum in Bridgeport, CT, to gather some insight on Barnum's unique genius. CO-STARRING: Jumbo the Elephant, Annie Oakley and Buffalo Bill, the Cardiff Giant and Tom Thumb! Support the show.

While Boston has more than rebounded from the great recession, many of New England’s smaller cities are still feeling the pain of de-industrialization. In Massachusetts, some of these former mill towns are plotting a comeback. We take a look at what two so-called Gateway Cities are doing to provide economic opportunity. We also learn about the down and dirty politics of Providence, Rhode Island in the 1970s and ’80s, when city leaders cozied up to the mob, with the makers of the podcast Crimetown. And with the “Greatest Show on Earth” coming to a close, we pay a visit to a museum dedicated to P.T. Barnum in the showman’s hometown of Bridgeport, Connecticut. A man walks his dog in front of vacant commercial spaces along Main Street in Fitchburg, Mass. (Credit: Jesse Costa/WBUR) Gateway to the American Dream Immigrant workers from Ireland and Germany were some of the first laborers in Lawrence, Massachusetts, filling the city’s 19th-century mill buildings with the hum of textile looms. Today, Lawrence has converted these buildings to refurbished work spaces for artists, innovators, and entrepreneurs. Shannon Dooling of WBUR brings us the story of how two Massachusetts towns are working to pull their economies into the 21st century. Angie Jimenez is a graduate of Entrepreneurship for All, a business accelerator program in Lawrence. She’s starting a cooking school in a renovated mill building in the city. (Credit: Jesse Costa/WBUR) Luis Feliciano cuts the hair of a young boy at the newly opened Brothers Barber Shop on Main Street in Fitchburg. (Credit: Jesse Costa/WBUR) It seems that the closer you are to the boom that's happening in Boston, the better off you are, and the same goes for cities in southwestern Connecticut, in the orbit of New York City. But economic booms bring high housing costs, sometimes far exceeding what lower-wage workers can afford. That's especially problematic in many of New England's coastal communities. And as rent prices rise, assistance for those who can't afford those rents is not keeping pace. We speak with Andrew Flowers, an economics writer at FiveThirtyEight, whose recent article on the subject profiled a family in South Portland, Maine. (Credit: FiveThirtyEight) This segment was first featured on the podcast on September 22, 2016.  Lobsters and Mobsters Logo for the Crimetown podcast. (Credit: Gimlet Media) A Republican who ran on the promise of breaking up the corrupt Democratic machine in Providence in 1974, Vincent “Buddy” Cianci was a hard-working mayor. He’d stay at the office into the night fixing problems,  and would even show up at a fire at two in the morning. But in order to get elected, Cianci cut deals with the political machine, and he “made arrangements” with the local mob. Marc Smerling and Zac Stewart-Pontier, producers of the HBO documentary series the Jinx, sat down with mobsters and bureaucrats years later to create Crimetown, a new podcast from Gimlet Media. Crimetown’s first season chronicles the decades-long dance between Cianci, the mob empire of Raymond Patriarca, and the people of Providence. Marc and Zac talked with NEXT about feeling torn over making their audience “fall in love with gangsters,” and how Providence has changed. Crimetown: Excerpts from “A Promise For Change” Campaign Film from Gimlet Media on Vimeo. This segment was first featured on the podcast on December 15, 2016.  Under the Big Top, Then and Now A poster in the Barnum Museum’s collection entitled “Scenes from a Long and Busy Life.” The poster was created in the early 1880s, when Barnum was in his early 70s. Courtesy of The Barnum Museum, Bridgeport, Conn. Last month, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus announced that it will close after 146 years. The owner cited declining ticket sales after the decision to retire its elephants in 2015, and declining attention spans. The circus’s co-founder, the legendary showman P.T. Barnum, has strong roots in our region. Phineas Taylor Barnum was born poor in rural Bethel, Connecticut. He served on the state legislature, and as mayor in his adopted hometown of Bridgeport, where he made large donations to public works. Artifacts from Barnum’s extraordinary life as a showman are housed at the Barnum Museum in Bridgeport, an ornate sandstone and terra cotta facade that was built in 1893, two years after Barnum’s death. NEXT producer Andrea Muraskin paid a visit. At the New England Center for Circus Arts in Brattleboro, Vermont, aspiring circus performers continue to train. The staff there say that in many ways, the future of circus arts has never been brighter. Vermont Public Radio’s Howard Weiss-Tisman reports. Todd Degnan performs on the Cyr wheel at New England Center for Circus Arts. Video by Howard Weiss-Tisman for VPR. About NEXT NEXT is produced at WNPR. Host: John Dankosky Producer: Andrea Muraskin Executive Producer: Catie Talarski Digital Content Manager/Editor: Heather Brandon Contributors to this episode: Shannon Dooling, Howard Weiss-Tisman Music: Todd Merrell, “New England” by Goodnight Blue Moon, “This Must be the Place” by the Talking Heads, “The Fairy Wedding Waltz” by Jasper Heard via Youtube. Get all the NEXT episodes. We appreciate your feedback! Send praise, critique, suggestions, questions, story leads, and pictures of your favorite local curiosities to next@wnpr.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.