Photograph: Charles S. Stratton in Knights Templar uniform (owned by the Bridgeport History Center)

An older Stratton stands with his hand resting on a chair, dressed in his Freemason uniform. He wears a hat with a feather in it, a sash, and a sword hangs off his side. He has a mustache, and looks off camera left. Stratton was a member of the Masons. 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. Photographed by George T. Burnham. Likely taken between 1870-1883. Measures 4.25 by 6.25 inches