Newspaper: Advertisement for "P. T. Barnum's 'The World in Contribution'" in Harper's Weekly, March 29, 1873

Full-page advertisement for "P. T. Barnum's 'The World in Contribution,'" in the March 29, 1873, issue of Harper's Weekly, page 254.  More than half the page consists of a large black and white illustration with a fanciful and grandiose view of Barnum in the clouds, his hand extended as if presenting his show as a gift.  Titles included in the illustration are  "The World in Contribution," and "Curiosities Arriving."  To the left, a corner of Barnum's former American Museum is shown. To the right is a distant view showing the circus traveling by train, and beyond it, a landscape with Native American teepees, and an ocean crowded with sailing ships.  Beneath Barnum there is an unusual "scene" shows a disproportionate line up of many types of wild animals, African natives in tribal garb, human curiosities, and performers.  The same image is used in a broadside, see item T2016.036.001. The heading beneath the illlustration reads, "Great Traveling World's Fair for the Campaign of 1873."  The text composing the lower half of the advertisement is a letter to the public from Barnum, describing how he overcame the third loss of a museum by fire, the Hippodrome, and the immense cost of his efforts to make a new show for the public.  With his mission to create entertainment suitable for families, his letter is strategicallly addressed to "Ladies, Gentlemen, Families, Children, Friends."  He begins by decribing  himself as a well-known "public Manager of Amusements blended with Instruction."  The main portion of the text describes his brand new traveling show, consisting of a Museum, Menagerie, and Hippodrome to be traveling throughout New England and Canada, and States north of the Ohio and east of the Mississippi Rivers.  He notes that his show "may fairly be called a great TRAVELING WORLD'S FAIR."  Although Barnum does not use the term circus to describe his show, his traveling show was much like a circus, with the Hippodrome Tent seating 13,000 people, and elaborately decorated wagons and performers of all kinds.  His show followed the typical circus season, opening in late March.  He states that his show would require more than 150 train cars and five or six locomotives, and cost him $5000 per day.  At the end of his letter, he describes the three-mile procession each morning, essentially a circus parade, which was in addition to three performances per day.  The advertisement closes with "The public's obedient servant" followed by Barnum's (printed) signature, location, and date: 438 Fifth Avenue, New York on March 15, 1873. Barnum is best known for his involvement with the circus that still bears his name, but his circus ventures came about in the early 1870s when he was in his 60s.  The first show was called "P. T. Barnum’s Grand Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan and Circus."  Railroads propelled the circus to success, making it easier to reach a number of locations and far more people, and the intake was significant.  Barnum then opened the New York Hippodrome with similar acts.  In the 1880s, he encountered competition from other circuses.  A merger between Barnum’s show the Great London Show of Cooper, Bailey, and Hutchinson formed the Barnum and London Circus.  Negotiations in 1887 formed the Barnum & Bailey Greatest Show on Earth.  After Barnum's death in 1891, Bailey contineud to operate the circus.  After his death in 1906, Ringling Brothers bought the business and operated it separately from the Ringling circus for over ten years.  The name remained until 1919 when the two circuses were combined to become Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey.  It came to an end in May 2017 when the circus ceased performances after 146 years.