Sheet music for Barnum's Polka written by Theodore Eisfeld, published by William Hall and Son, 239 Broadway. The cover of Barnum's Polka features... Show moreSheet music for Barnum's Polka written by Theodore Eisfeld, published by William Hall and Son, 239 Broadway. The cover of Barnum's Polka features an illustration of Iranistan. The illustration depicts the main house with two smaller buildings to the left and one to the right. A golden bird, perhaps a peacock, appears in the lawn near the front gate. The rest of the pages show the sheet music itself. During the time this music was composed, the polka was a very popular dance, having origins in Bohemia (the modern Czech Republic). In the United States, the polka could be danced in two ways: in a style close to rustic origins in Bohemia, or in a style that had been refined in the ballrooms of Europe. The popularity of the polka caused all kinds of merchandise to be fabricated with the word "polka" on it. Iranistan was P.T. Barnum's family home from 1848-1857 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, located on present day Fairfield Avenue. It was designed in the Moorish revival style by Leopold Eidlitz, with additional inspiration from the Royal Pavilion in Brighton. It cost $100,000 and sat on seventeen acres of land. The mansion burned down in December of 1857, due to the burning ashes of a workman's burning cigar or pipe. Written by Theodore Eisfeld, published by William Hall and Son, 239 Broadway, dates to about 1848-1857 Show less