Letter: ASPCA Correspondence to Samuel Hurd from Henry Bergh, July 8, 1874
Letter to Samuel Hurd from Henry Bergh on ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) letterhead dated from July 8, 1874. The... Show moreLetter to Samuel Hurd from Henry Bergh on ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) letterhead dated from July 8, 1874. The letter regards a complaint sent to the ASPCA about Barnum's Roman Hippodrome and asks that steps be taken to prevent further accidents. Bergh was a vocal critic of Barnum's treatment of animals, but the two eventually became friends. Barnum proceeded to leave the ASPCA money in his will. P.T. Barnum wrote a large number of letters in his time, and as a public figure, received many in return. These manuscripts offer insight into his personal life via correspondence with friends and family, his business interests including the American Museum and the circus, and his personality. The various correspondents demonstrate how vast his social circle was, and the space he occupied as a public figure during his own lifetime. Show less