Photograph: the Lilliputian Card Party (owned by the Bridgeport History Center)

Photograph of George Washington Morris Nutt (Commodore Nutt), Charles S. Stratton (General Tom Thumb), and both M. Lavinia and Minni Warren playing cards. Nut is in the center, with Lavinia Warren to his immediate left. Beside Lavinia is her sister Minnie Warren, and beside Minnie is Charles Stratton. They sit among a mix of custom made furniture for their stature and regular furniture, all intently playing cards. Below the text reads "The Lilliputian Card Party." Photographs like this one were often sold as a part of exhibitions, and in the case of performers whose claim to fame was related to their physical appearance or a developmental disability, the staging in photographs helped to emphasize their differences. This was accomplished by consciously manipulating clothing, props, the backdrop, and all other elements of the photograph in order to draw attention to their particular traits. The question of who was responsible for the staging, be it photographer, manager, or performer, varied greatly. Charles S. Stratton (January 4, 1838- July 15, 1883), known as General Tom Thumb, was an entertainer and Bridgeport Conn. native who got his start with P.T. Barnum in 1842. Stratton's parents signed him with Barnum at age 4, as exhibiting those with dwarfism was lucrative at the time. Stratton took quickly to performing, and he entertained audiences worldwide, including nobility such as Queen Victoria. Stratton married fellow performer M. Lavinia Warren and the two had a happy marriage. Stratton's performances brought him renown as a celebrity, perhaps one of the biggest at the time, and he and Warren were able to live comfortably when not working. On July 15, 1883, Stratton suffered a stroke and passed away. 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), then Mercy Lavinia Magri, was a well known entertainer during the 1800s. She began her show business career on a river boat, as exhibiting those with dwarfism was profitable at the time. Warren signed with P.T. Barnum at age 21, along with her younger sister Minnie Warren, who also had dwarfism. Later on, Lavinia began to date fellow Barnum performer Charles S. Stratton (General Tom Thumb), and the two eventually wed. They worked and toured together as celebrities, and had a happy marriage. Following Stratton's death, 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, Mass. Warren died on November 25, 1919, and is buried besides Stratton at Mountain Grove Cemetery. George Washington Morrison Nutt (April 1, 1848-May 25, 1881), known as Commodore Nutt, was an entertainer who worked for P.T. Barnum. Nutt was exhibited for his small stature at a young age, and he signed with Barnum at age 13. He became the new star at the American Museum. Nutt was sometimes paired with Charles S. Stratton, the first little person Barnum worked with, and later Nutt joined forces with Stratton, and Stratton's wife Lavinia and Lavinia's sister Minnie for a world tour. He quit the company in 1872, and his own attempts to start a company never quite took off, and his financial resources dwindled. Nutt died of Bright's disease on May 25, 1881 in New York City. Huldah Pierce Warren (Bump) Newell, known better as Minnie Warren (June 2, 1849-July 23, 1878) was a performer associated with P.T. Barnum. She was the sister of M. Lavinia Warren, and the two sisters had an excellent relationship. Minnie married fellow little person Edmund Newell in 1877, who was also a Barnum performer. The two had one child together, but the child died a few hours after birth. Minnie herself died from the delivery of the baby on July 23, 1878, a loss which devastated her sister. Minnie is buried in Nemasket Hill Cemetery in Middleboro, Massachusetts. Mathew Brady, 1863. Measure 2.5 by 4 inches.