Small-scale composite poster featuring nine sepia-toned photographs of Charles Stratton, better known by his stage name, "General Tom Thumb." The photographs represent many of the character acts performed by Stratton in his youth, from the mid-1840s through 1850s. Each photograph shows him in a performance costume. The photographs are glued to a heavy paperboard backing, with three across and three down, evenly spaced. The poster title is printed in bold letters at the top, "Gen. Tom Thumb in his Different Characters." The characters are titled: Citizen, Court Dress, Highland, Napoleon, Villikins, Our Mary Ann, Cain, Sailor, and Romulus. The photos are examples of the kind of promotional merchandise available for purchase by Gen. Tom Thumb's fans and admirers, especially in the 1860s when baseball-card size photographs called cartes de visite were popular collectibles. The specific purpose or occasion, if any, for creating this mini-poster is unknown. It appears to have been trimmed down on the sides, which are not perfectly straight and are lacking the decorative border at the top and bottom. Photographs by E. T. Whitney, Norwalk, CT, circa 1850s. Charles S. Stratton (January 4, 1838--July 15, 1883) was a 19th century entertainer who got his start with P. T. Barnum at Barnum's American Museum in New York City. Stratton was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut; his father, Sherwood Stratton, was a carpenter. Stratton was less than two feet tall when Barnum was introduced to him, having almost ceased growing when he was about six or seven months old. Stratton's parents signed their son with Barnum just shy of the boy's fifth birthday, in December 1842. Exhibiting people with dwarfism was lucrative at the time, and Sherwood Stratton was only too happy to boost the family income. A personable and bright child, Stratton took quickly to performing at the museum in New York. A year later, in the winter of 1844, the boy, his parents, and Barnum sailed for England where they began a three-year tour of Europe. The pair made a fortune. Everywhere they travelled, Stratton entertained audiences in halls and theaters, and thanks to Barnum's clever methods of promotion, Stratton was invited to meet many heads of state and nobility, including Queen Victoria. Stratton married fellow performer and little person M. Lavinia Warren in 1863 and the two had a happy marriage. The couple's performances and worldwide travels brought them renown as an international celebrity couple, perhaps the most famous at the time. They also became very wealthy and owned homes in several locations, a yacht, and other luxuries. On July 15, 1883, Stratton suffered a stroke and died. He is buried at Mountain Grove Cemetery in Bridgeport, Connecticut. His widow remarried two years later, but chose to be buried with Stratton upon her death, which occurred in 1919.