Booklet: The District Railway Guide to Olympia and Barnum and Bailey's Great Show with an authentic life of [...] P.T. Barnum

Booklet entitled The District Railway Guide to Olympia and Barnum and Bailey's Great Show with an authentic life of the late Mr. P.T. Barnum. Printed during the 1897-1898 run of Barnum and Bailey's circus in Olympia, London, England, this booklet features maps to the venue, a plan of the site itself, how to get to the venue both from within London and outside of it, a guide to Olympia, and a condensed version of Barnum's biography. The cover itself is printed in color, featuring a portrait of P.T. Barnum in the center. An American flag is behind the oval his portrait is featured in, and said portrait is also flanked by decorative oak leaves. Elaborate text giving the full title of the book is featured on the cover. Measures 8.5 by 5.5 inches. Printed by Boot, Son, and Carpenter. Barnum is best known for his involvement with the circus that still bears 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.