Set of six color trade cars produced by Kash entitled every man rides his own hobby. P.T. Barnum is included in the set, and he is shown to be riding a train that reads the greatest show on earth!!! At the front of the train is an elephant, likely meant to represent Jumbo, and leaning against Barnum in the back is a monkey dressed in a suit, holding a red flag with an elephant on it. Also included in the set is Henry Bergh (founder of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) riding a horse labeled this is a horse, William Henry Vanderbilt (businessman, philanthropist, and richest man in America after 1877) riding a train labeled NYC, Jay Gould (railroad developer and owner of a large stake in Western Union) riding an East Asian dragon firecracker, Bob Ingersol (politician, lawyer, and American Civil War veteran) riding a lizard labeled infidelity, and Benjamin F. Butler (politician, lawyer, and leading figure in impeaching President Andrew Johnson) riding a stick figure ram that reads presidential ram on it. This single sided set of caricatures shows the artist's humor, as well as other men that were considered contemporaries of P.T. Barnum. During the 1800s, trade cards acted as both a means of marketing and as a business card, with the cards being distributed to customers and potential customers. The advent of color printing lead to more sophisticated designs, and collecting trade cards became a hobby. This lead to the development of collectible cards like baseball cards. Phineas Taylor (P.T.) Barnum (July 5, 1810 - April 7, 1891) is primarily associated with the Barnum and Bailey Greatest Show on Earth. However, Barnum only began to focus on the circus in 1871. Prior to that he managed the American Museum in New York City from 1842-1868, was an elected official, mayor of Bridgeport, philanthropist, promoter, newspaper editor, and investor, among many, many other things. He promoted an image of himself along with his various ventures, which changed throughout the years, and was a celebrity in his own right.
