Posted
on January 4, 2015
Nowadays
we can learn about the challenges and rewards that little people deal
with by watching TV shows such as Little People, Big World.
But back in the 1800s, most people had never seen someone diagnosed
with dwarfism, and circus and sideshow promoters hired dwarfs and
toured about showed them off as “human curiosities” and even
“freaks.”
Of
course, the important thing about “human curiosities” is that
they are HUMAN! Hopefully most of the dwarfs employed by circuses and
side shows enjoyed being entertainers and did not feel like freaks
being stared at and talked about by crowds of people—but I fear
that the experience was negative for many.
I
am not sure, but I think that the relationship between circus promoter P.T.
Barnum and little person Charles Stratton was a true partnership with mutual respect. (I hope it was not troubled by condescension and exploitation!) However, one thing I am sure of is that it was a very successful
partnership! With Barnum's promotional skills and Stratton's talents
and comedic style, Stratton became world famous as General Tom Thumb.
Barnum
was a distant relative of Charles Stratton. He heard about little Charles's lack
of growth, but when Barnum met the boy he realized that he was precocious and charming. Barnum taught the young boy how
to sing, dance, mime, and do impersonations. Then he took the boy out
on tour when Charles was just five years old!Then, when Charles was just six years old, Barnum took him on a tour of Europe!
Both
tours were huge successes, and the “Tom Thumb” was mobbed
everywhere he went. He appeared twice before Queen Victoria and met
the future King Edward VII when the latter was just three years old.
When
Tom Thumb became an adult, he continued to be famous. When he married
another dwarf, Livinia Warren, the wedding was huge (10,000 guests!)
and made front-page news. The couple was received by President
Lincoln at the White House.
Growing
in stature and riches
Stratton
was born on this date in 1838. He was actually a large baby, weighing
more than 9 pounds (more than 4 kg) at birth! He grew normally until
he was six months old, and then he stopped for years. Finally, when
he was 9 years old, he started to grow again—but very slowly. When
he was 18, Stratton was 2 feet 8 inches tall (more than 82 cm).
With
P.T. Barnum managing his entertainment career, Stratton became very
wealthy. He owned a nice house, a steam yacht, and a wardrobe of fine
clothing. At one point, Barnum got into financial difficulty, and
Stratton was able to bail him out.
Stratton
continued to grow slowly. When he died at age 45, he was more than 3
feet (102 cm) tall.
Barnum
purchased a life-sized statue of the entertainer to mark his grave.
In 1959, the statue was smashed by vandals, but the general public
pitched in to restore the statue.
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