Photograph: "Gen. Tom Thumb's Wife & Child"
Image
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Handle
http://hdl.handle.net/11134/110002:500
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Title |
Title
Title
Photograph: "Gen. Tom Thumb's Wife & Child"
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Origin Information
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Resource Type
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Digital Origin |
Digital Origin
reformatted digital
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Description |
Description
M. Lavinia Warren sits in the center of the image, an infant in her arm. A white background is around them. In actuality, M. Lavinia Warren and Charles S. Stratton never had a child together, the baby was a part of their act and a publicity stunt. While on tour they would borrow a local baby to display as their child. 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. 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. No photographer is named. Likely taken between 1863-1865.
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Genre
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Organizations |
Organizations
Creator (cre): Unknown creator, American
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Use and Reproduction |
Use and Reproduction
This item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. Images and data from The Bridgeport History Center, Bridgeport Public Library are intended for public access and educational use only. This material is owned, held, or licensed by The Bridgeport History Center, Bridgeport Public Library 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 Bridgeport History Center, Bridgeport Public Library; fees may be applicable.
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Note |
Note
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Local Identifier |
Local Identifier
PTB-tt-ph018
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