Handbill: Advertisement for Barnum's American Museum featuring the Swiss Bearded Lady, Living Ostriches, and Fiji Mermaid for May 21, 1855

Handbill advertising Barnum's American Museum for May 21, 1855. Featured on the front of the advertisement are the words Living Wonders in elaborate font. Beneath the words are the listings for performers including the Swiss Bearded Lady, the Infant Esau (Annie Jones, later a well known bearded lady), living ostriches, Miss Sylvia Hardy billed as a Main Giantess, a dwarf lady whose name is not given, and the Fejee Mermaid. The other side of the bill gives the list of theater performances at the museum, which are the Sons of the Republic, Good for Nothing, Glass To Much, and the Tailor of Tamworth. Unknown printer, May 1855. Barnum's American Museum was located at the corner of Broadway and Ann Street from 1841 to 1865 until it was destroyed by a fire, and then moved to 539-541 Broadway until it too was destroyed by a fire in 1868. The displays in the museum ranged from dioramas of places such as Niagara falls and the American plains, various animals including whales and trained seals, wax figure tableaux, performers, theatrical performances, inventions, scientific specimens, and curious artifacts. Barnum included what were then called humbugs, or hoaxes, and invited the public to decide for themselves if the displays in question were genuine or not.