You may associate Just Collect with sports cards and memorabilia, but the truth is that we also love to buy and sell pieces of American history. One of the items we are currently offering crosses the lines of American history and 19 th century show business: an autographed cabinet card of PT. Barnum dated 1885. Barnum lived a long life and as a celebrity and public official, did sign his name on a regular basis, but not many of those signatures have survived in the 122 years that have followed his death. This photo was signed just six years before he passed away. Quality, rarer items such as this well-preserved and boldly signed photo are quite desirable by collectors of circus memorabilia and Americana. The photo measures about 4 ¼” by 6 ½” and the signature has been verified by PSA/DNA. A corresponding letter is included with this lot. Taken at Charles Eisenmann’s New York studio in the latter years of Barnum’s life, it is in very nice shape with only a couple of spots of paper loss toward the bottom. The mount which bears Eisenmann’s name in gold on the front and his city stamp on the back, shows some light wear and a bit of paper loss. Barnum’s endeavors entertained millions of people over the course of several decades. While may know his name from the famous Barnum & Bailey Circus, Phineas Taylor Barnum actually earned his fortune with the American Museum of Curios in New York City, which opened in 1842. He went to great lengths across the globe to locate and “display” attractions such as Tom Thumb, the Siamese twins Chang and Eng and the Fiji Mermaid. After 13 years, Barnum retired and became the mayor of Bridgeport, Connecticut. As good as he was at making money and bringing tourists to town, Barnum wasn’t quite as adept with money. He was forced back into show business where he reopened his museum and began the process of creating the circus that he dubbed “The Greatest Show on Earth”. A merger with a rival circus in 1881 created the Barnum & Bailey traveling circus which became a household name around the world and continued on long after his death in 1891. If you have rare Americana or entertainment memorabilia you would like to liquidate, please contact us and we’ll be glad to speak with you.
