Wooden frame with four decorative grooves that encases a matted copy of P.T. Barnum and Charity Hallett's marriage announcement. The matte has black inked calligraphy accented with white and grey paint. Flourishes decorate the top title which reads "Republican Farmer," the newspaper this clipping is taken from. The left side of the matte reads "Bridgeport Conn. 1829 Wednesday Nov 18th". The right side reads "Containing Marriage Notice Of" and finishes across the bottom with "Phineas Taylor Barnum. And Charity Hallett. Sunday Nov 8th 1829." In each of the four corners there are black decorative flourishes with white detailing. The center of the matte contains a copy of a newspaper clip that announces marriages and deaths. Under "Married" there appears "In New York, Mr. Phineas T. Barnum, of Bethel, to Ms. Charity Hallett, of Greenfield." Charity Barnum nee Hallett (28 October 1808-19 November, 1873) was the first wife of Phineas Taylor Barnum. They met in Bethel, Connecticut, where she was a tailoress, and married on 18 November, 1829, she aged 21, he 19. They had four daughters, three of whom lived to adulthood. Although the two were devoted to one another for many years, Charity was a quieter presence than her husband, and apparently preferred home life to travel. As her husband achieved international fame and great wealth, their differing outlooks and interests became more marked. By inclination she did not seek the limelight; in addition, she suffered from ill health for many years. She died on 10 November, 1873, and was buried in Mountain Grove Cemetery in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Donated to the museum by a descendant of Barnum. This framed clipping was likely passed down in the family, although the person responsible for the calligraphy around the clipping is unknown.
