Poster: "Coming with P.T. Barnum's Greatest Show on Earth, Captain Costentenus the Greek Albanian"
H.A. Thomas Lithographic Studio
Creator
text
posters
1876-01-01
1876-12-31
reformatted digital
image/tiff
Color poster announcing one of P. T. Barnum's popular attractions of the 1870s and 1880s, Captain Costentenus, a man who was completely tatooed save for the soles of his feet. Barnum promoted him as having suffered the head to toe tattoing as a punishment at the hands of Chinese captors, but the story was fabricated. Costentenus was considered a medical curiosity in his day and was probably more heavily tattoed than any other person in his time period, though he was not the first tattoed person to exhibit himself.
The medium-sized poster, dating to about 1876, is titled at the top, "Coming with P.T. Barnum's Greatest Show on Earth." It features a detailed upper body portrait of Captain Costentenus showing him with dark hair parted in the center and a very full beard, his skin covered in light blue tattoos of various wild animals, imaginatively drawn. The designs include lions and other wild cats, elephants, serpents, and various types of birds, with red dots creating patterns in the spaces between the animals. Beneath the portrait is the subtitle, "Captain Costentenus the Greek Albanian! Tattooed from head to foot in Chinese Tartary, as punishment for engaging in rebellion against the king." The poster was printed by H.A. Thomas Lithographic Studio, 865 Broadway, N.Y.
CHO
The Barnum Museum
Tattooed people
Circus posters
Advertising--Circus
Circus--United States--History
Curiosities and wonders
Posters
2003.009.110
This item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. Images and data from The Barnum Museum are intended for public access and educational use only. This material is owned, held, or licensed by The Barnum Museum and is being provided solely for the purpose of teaching or individual research. All other use, including commercial reuse, mounting on other systems, or other forms of redistribution requires permission of the appropriate department of The Barnum Museum; fees may be applicable.
The Barnum Museum
eng
http://hdl.handle.net/11134/60002:989