Courier: Book of Jumbo, Newburyport, July 19, 1882

Courier entitled the Book of Jumbo meant to promote a performance at Newburyport, July 19, 1882. The cover of the Book of Jumbo, Largest Elephant in or out of captivity features an image of Jumbo himself with a box on his back, giving rides to individuals. His keeper, Matthew Scott, is beneath Jumbo's head, and is assisted by others in taking the elephant out. The first page gives a history of Jumbo and information about his purchase by P.T. Barnum. It is followed by editorials from English newspapers about Jumbo's departure, lyrics written about him, and letters regarding the elephant. Also present are illustrations. The first shows a chained up Jumbo; Jumbo in trains lifting his trunk up and a man below him managing the chains; Jumbo in the ocean water trying to swim and shooting water out of his trunk with a number of panicked beach goers behind him; Jumbo lifting his trunk straight into the air with his keeper beside him; Jumbo standing with his keeper beside him; Jumbo crouching on the ground with his keeper; Jumbo towering over a team of horses pulling a carriage; and a full page spread. That spread features Jumbo and his keeper Matthew Scott in the center. To their left are three illustrations: one of Jumbo refusing to enter his shipping crate, one of Jumbo being loaded onto the steamer ship that brought him to America, and one of the large rail car built to hold him. On the right is an image of Jumbo refusing to leave the zoo, Jumbo in his crate being pulled through London, and Jumbo being pulled in his crate through the streets of New York City. Additional illustrations following the full page spread show Jumbo covered in people who he is giving rides to; Jumbo holding a tree trunk in his trunk and facing away from Matthew Scott; Jumbo crouching; Jumbo having torn off a large tree branch with his trunk and a man running from him; and Jumbo getting into the shipping crate. On the back are illustrations featuring the menagerie of the circus, the elephant, Baby Bridgeport, racing animals that are part of the Great Roman Hippodrome, people who performed in the Museum of Living Curiosities, and the promise of 3 circuses in three distinct rings. Jumbo the Elephant (1861-September 15, 1885) was an unusually tall African elephant best known for his time as an attraction in the London Zoo and as a part of P.T. Barnum's circus from 1882 to his death in 1885. His sale from the London Zoo to Barnum's circus prompted a great public outcry in England, and Barnum used the publicity to his advantage. Jumbo was killed by a train on September 15, 1885. Barnum had his hide stuffed and bones mounted to exhibit them as a double Jumbo. The hide eventually went to Tufts University and was there until it burnt in the 1970s, and the bones to the American Museum of Natural History where they remain today. Barnum is best known for his involvement with the circus that bore his name, but his circus ventures came about 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 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 and the Great London Show of Cooper, Bailey, and Hutchinson formed the Barnum and London Circus. Negotiations in 1887 formed the Barnum and Bailey circus. The name remained until 1919 when it became the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. It came to an end in May 2017 when the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus ceased performances after 146 years.