asing them."  Later, he crusaded against fraudsters (see below). Barnum followed that with the exhibition of Charles Stratton, the dwarf "General Tom Thumb" ("the Smallest Person that ever Walked Alone") who was then four years of age but was stated to be 11. With heavy coaching and natural talent, the boy was taught to imitate people from Hercules to Napoleon. By five, he was drinking wine and by seven smoking cigars for the public's amusement. Though exploited, Tom Thumb enjoyed his job and had a good relationship with Barnum free of bitterness.

1856 newspaper advertisement for Barnum's American Museum located on Ann Street in Manhattan.In year 1843 Barnum hired the traditional Native American dancer fu-Hum-Me, the first of many Native Americans he presented. During 1844-45, Barnum toured with Tom Thumb in Europe and met Queen Victoria, who was amused and saddened by the little man, and the event was a publicity coup. It opened the door to visits from royalty across Europe including the Czar of Russia and let him acquire dozens of attractions, including automatons and other mechanical marvels. He tried to buy the birth home of William Shakespeare and almost got away with it. Barnum was having the time of his life, and for all of the three years abroad with Thumb, except for a few months when his serious, nervous, and straitlaced wife joined him, he had piles of spending money, food and drink, and lived a carefree existence. On his return to New York, he went on a spending spree, buying other museums, including Peale's museum in Philadelphia, the nation's first major museum. By late 1846, Barnum's Museum was drawing 400,000 visitors a year.

His life and legacy
Barnum built four mansions in Bridgeport, Connecticut: Iranistan, Lindencroft, Waldemere and Marina. Iranistan was the most notable: a fanciful and opulent Moorish Revival splendor designed by Leopold Eidlitz with domes, spires and lacy fretwork, inspired by the Royal Pavilion in Brighton, England. This mansion was built 1848 but burned down in 1857.

Barnum died in his sleep at home on April 7, 1891 and was buried in Mountain Grove Cemetery, Bridgeport, Connecticut, a cemetery he designed. A statue in his honor was placed in 1893 at Seaside Park, by the water in Bridgeport. Barnum had donated the land for this park in 1865. His circus was sold to Ringling Brothers on July 8, 1907 for $400,000 (about $8.5 million in 2008 dollars). At his death, most critics had forgiven him and he was praised for good works. Barnum was hailed as an icon of American spirit and ingenuity, and was perhaps the most famous American in the world. Just before his death, he gave permission to the Evening Sun to print his obituary, so that he might read it. On April 7 he asked about the box office receipts for the day; a few hours later, he was dead.

P·T·巴纳姆（菲尼亚斯·泰勒·巴纳姆）（P.T. Barnum，1810-1891年），美国巡回演出团老板和马戏团老板。他被认为是世界最伟大的巡回演出团老板，并因展现畸形人的表演而闻名，尽管只有部分是真材实料。他喜欢大做宣传，经常夸大其词，以吸引那些好奇和容易上当的观众。“每一分钟都有一个傻瓜诞生。”这句话是他的谚语。

巴纳姆出生于康涅狄格州贝瑟尔。他从经营乡村杂货店起家，但很快开始经营彩票。巴纳姆开始作为巡回演出团老板是在他遇见一位黑人女子之后，该女子名叫乔伊斯·海斯，自称做过乔治·华盛顿的保姆。巴纳姆连续数年展示她的演出，有时候一周可以挣1500美金。在晚年，巴纳姆承认这个女人至少比乔治·华盛顿年轻30岁。

1842年巴纳姆买下了纽约城的美国博物馆。大约在同一时间，他发掘了查尔斯·S·斯特拉顿，一位来自康涅狄格州布里奇波特的侏儒。巴纳姆把他命名为“拇指汤姆”，并在各地展示“拇指汤姆”及其妻子（也是一位侏儒）。1850-51年，巴纳姆把“瑞典夜莺”珍妮·林德带到美国，开始了她的首次巡回演出。作为巡回演出团老板，巴纳姆早已闻名遐迩，因而轻松当选为康涅狄格州立法机构的一员（1865-69年）。

巴纳姆1871年开始经营马戏团，开始了他所谓的“地球上最伟大的表演”。它是第一批乘火车而非马车演出的马戏团之一。1881年他和主要竞争对手詹姆斯·A·贝利成立了“巴纳姆和贝利马戏团”。他们的演出统治了马戏团世界。首要的演出之一是《大象》，一只肩高达11英尺多（3.4米）的巨象。这对搭档死后，马戏团被卖给了林林兄弟。

巴纳姆的著作包括：《世界上的骗子》（1865年）以及《奋斗和胜利》或《四十年往事》（1869年）。《巴纳姆自己的故事》（1927年）是以巴纳姆留下的材料为基础创作的。

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