Invitation: Invitation to P.T. Barnum's Hippodrome featuring the visit of King Kalakaua in 1874
Invitation to a performance at P.T. Barnum's Hippodrome. Dated to December 26, 1874, the invitation reads "Mr. Barnum requests the pleasure of your... Show moreInvitation to a performance at P.T. Barnum's Hippodrome. Dated to December 26, 1874, the invitation reads "Mr. Barnum requests the pleasure of your company upon the occasion of the visit of His Majesty King Kalakaua to the Hippodrome, on Tuesday afternoon, at 2 o'clock." The text is plain, save for King Kalakau's name. Barnum is best known for his involvement with the circus that bore his name, but his circus ventures came about when he was in his 60s. The first show was called P.T. Barnum's Grand Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan and Circus. Railroads propelled the circus to success, making it easier to reach a number of locations, and the intake was significant. Barnum then opened the New York Hippodrome with similar acts. In the 1880s, he encountered competition from other circuses. A merger between Barnum's show and the Great London Show of Cooper, Bailey, and Hutchinson formed the Barnum and London Circus. Negotiations in 1887 formed the Barnum and Bailey circus. The name remained until 1919 when it became the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. It came to an end in May 2017 when the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus ceased performances after 146 years. Show less