Miniature calling card with envelope, for Mr. and Mrs. Charles S. Stratton, better known by their stage names, Gen. and Mrs. Tom Thumb. The calling card may date to the time of their marriage in 1863, or from any time in the twenty years following. (Charles died in 1883.) The card is a narrow rectangle of off-white card stock on which the couple's name is printed in black in a formal, old English style font with a shadow effect that is meant to resemble engraved lettering on silver. The envelope is a pale blue color. The calling card is just 1 1/2 inches high and 3 3/4 inches wide. The use of calling cards followed a complex set of rules of etiquette. Typically a servant delivered the calling card to the person that his master or mistress wished to visit. The master or mistress would then await a response, also via a calling card. Cards were also used for other purposes, such as to announce one's recent arrival in town, or imminent departure, or as in this case, to state a day and time that one would be availalbe to entertain visitors. Calling cards were commonly used by people of wealth and leisure but in the United States they were also used by members of the middle class who aspired to engage in social refinements. Charles S. Stratton (January 4, 1838 - July 15, 1883) was a Bridgeport, Connecticut, native who got his start with P.T. Barnum in 1842, performing at the American Museum in New York City. Stratton's parents signed him with Barnum when he was barely five years old, as exhibiting people with dwarfism was lucrative at the time. Stratton took quickly to performing, and he entertained audiences worldwide, including royalty and heads of state. Queen Victoria in particular was enchanted by the boy. At age 25 Stratton married fellow performer M. Lavinia Warren and the two had a happy marriage. Stratton's performances brought him renown as a celebrity, and his popularity expanded with his celebrated marriage to Warren, who was also highly regarded and admired. The couple became very wealthy from their three-year world tour and other engagements. On July 15, 1883, Stratton suffered a stroke and passed away at age 45. He is buried at Mountain Grove Cemetery in Bridgeport, Connecticut, with his wife beside him. Mercy Lavinia Warren nee Bump (October 31, 1841 - November 25, 1919) was a well known entertainer during the latter half of the 1800s and early years of the 1900s. She began her show business career on a river boat operated by a cousin of the family. With the onset of the Civil War, it was no longer safe for the river boat to travel to southern towns. In 1862, at age 21 Warren signed with P. T. Barnum and was soon introduced to fellow Barnum performer Charles S. Stratton (General Tom Thumb). The pair fell in love and were married two months later. Their famously publicized marriage, the Fairy Wedding, brought them widespread fame. They toured together, and with Lavinia's sister Minnie, as well as the best man Commodore Nutt. Following Stratton’s death at age 45 in 1883, Warren married Primo Magri, an Italian entertainer of a similar stature to Warren, on April 6, 1885. Magri and Warren operated a roadside stand in Middleboro, Massachusetts. Warren died on November 25, 1919, and is buried besides Stratton in Mountain Grove Cemetery, Bridgeport, Connecticut.
