Photograph: Actors from Singer's Midgets Vaudeville Troupe at Grave of Charles S. Stratton
Photograph of the Singer's Midgets Vaudeville Troupe at Stratton's grave. They are shown laying a wreath there, with the actors on both sides.... Show morePhotograph of the Singer's Midgets Vaudeville Troupe at Stratton's grave. They are shown laying a wreath there, with the actors on both sides. Members of the troupe went on to perform in the Wizard of Oz. The photograph is horizontal, and so only the name "Stratton" and the foreground can be seen in the photo. Stratton's monument is topped with a statue of the entertainer. Charles S. Stratton (January 4, 1838- July 15, 1883), known as General Tom Thumb, was an entertainer and Bridgeport Conn. native who got his start with P.T. Barnum in 1842. Stratton's parents signed him with Barnum at age 4, as exhibiting those with dwarfism was lucrative at the time. Stratton took quickly to performing, and he entertained audiences worldwide, including nobility such as Queen Victoria. Stratton married fellow performer M. Lavinia Warren and the two had a happy marriage. Stratton's performances brought him renown as a celebrity, perhaps one of the biggest at the time, and he and Warren were able to live comfortably when not working. On July 15, 1883, Stratton suffered a stroke and passed away. He is buried at Mountain Grove Cemetery in Bridgeport, Connecticut, with his wife beside him. No photographer named. Measures 8 by 10 inches. Show less