Struggles and Triumphs

Fourteen years subsequent to this event, I called on this English lady in company with an American friend. In the course of conversation, I…

The same day, I met a young Englishman in the hotel, who had been travelling in Spain. During our conversation we were summoned to dinner. At the…

I met the Simpsons afterwards in Brussels, and the head of the family, who had heard nothing but French spoken, outside of his own circle, for a long…

With the exception of the brief time passed in making two short visits to America, I had now passed three years with General Tom Thumb in Great…

We had visited nearly every city and town in France and Belgium, all the principal places in England and Scotland, besides going to Belfast and…

One of my main objects in returning home at this time, was to obtain a longer lease of the premises occupied by the American Museum. My lease had…

But there was really no mystery about it; the whole change made by training and travel, had appeared to me by degrees, and it came to the citizens of…

On January 1, 1845, my engagement with the General at a salary ceased, and we made a new arrangement by which we were equal partners, the General, or…

After spending a month in visiting his friends, it was determined that the General and his parents should travel through the United States. I…

I was surprised to find that, during my long absence abroad, I had become almost as much of a curiosity to my patrons as I was to the spinster from…

In November, 1847, we started for Havana, taking the steamer from New York to Charleston, where the General exhibited, as well as at Columbia,…

My new home, which was then nearly ready for occupancy, was the well-known Iranistan. More than two years had been employed in building this…

I wished to reside within a few hours of New York. I had never seen more delightful locations than there are upon the borders of Long Island Sound,…

I accordingly purchased seventeen acres of land, less than a mile west of the city, and fronting with a good view upon the Sound. Although…

opened in the vicinity of my property. The building progressed slowly, but surely and substantially. Elegant and appropriate furniture was made…

The plot of ground upon which Iranistan was erected, was at the date of my purchase, in March 1846, a bare field. But I transplanted many hundreds of…

The years 1848 and 1849 were mainly spent with my family, though I went every week to New York to look after the interests of the American Museum.…

I stayed in Philadelphia long enough to identify myself with this Museum and to successfully start the enterprise and then left it in the hands of…

During the year 1848, Mr. Frank Leslie, since so widely known as the publisher of several illustrated journals, came to me with letters of…

I count these two years--1848 and 1849--among the happiest of my life. I had enough to do in the management of my business, and yet I seemed to…

For a long time I had been incubating a plan for an extraordinary exhibition which I was sure would be a success and would excite universal attention…

And now I come to speak of an undertaking which my worst enemy will admit was bold in its conception, complete in its development, and astounding…

It was in October 1849, that I conceived the idea of bringing Jenny Lind to this country. I had never heard her sing, inasmuch as she arrived in…

Reflecting that very much would depend upon the manner in which she should be brought before the public, I saw that my task would be an exceedingly…

I found in Mr. John Hall Wilton, an Englishman who had visited this country with the Sax-Horn Players, the best man whom I knew for that purpose. A…

On the 6th of November, 1849, I furnished Wilton with the necessary documents, including a letter of general instructions which he was at liberty…

This, she confessed, somewhat alarmed her, and she wrote to Mr. Bates on the subject. He entirely disabused her mind, by assuring her that he knew me…

2d. In consideration of said services, the said John Hall Wilton, as agent for the said Phineas T. Barnum, of New York, agrees to furnish the said…

3d. And the said John Hall Wilton, as agent for the said Phineas T. Barnum, doth further agree to give the said Jenny Lind the most satisfactory…

5th. And the said John Hall Wilton, agent for the said Phineas T. Barnum, at the request of the said Jenny Lind, agrees to pay to Julius Benedict, of…

6th. And the said John Hall Wilton, at the request, selection, and for the aid of the said Jenny Lind, agrees to pay to Giovanni Belletti, baritone…

7th. And it is further agreed that the said Jenny Lind shall be at full liberty to sing at any time she may think fit for charitable institutions…

8th. It is further agreed that should the said Jenny Lind by any act of God be incapacitated to fulfil the entire engagement before mentioned, that…

9th. It is further agreed and understood, that the said Phineas T. Barnum shall pay every expense appertaining to the concerts or oratorios before…

10th. And the said Jenny Lind further agrees that she will not engage to sing for any other person during the progress of this said engagement with…

SIR:--In reply to your proposal to attempt a negotiation with Mlle. Jenny Lind to visit the United States professionally, I propose to enter into…

I was at my Museum in Philadelphia when Wilton arrived in New York, February 19, 1850. He immediately telegraphed to me, in the cipher we had…

When we reflect how thoroughly Jenny Lind, her musical powers, her character, and wonderful successes, were subsequently known by all classes in this…

The next morning I started for New York. On arriving at Princeton we met the New York cars, and purchasing the morning papers, I was surprised to…

I had an interview with Wilton, and learned from him that, in accordance with the agreement, it would be requisite for me to place the entire…

“Perhaps I may not make any money by this enterprise; but I assure you that if I knew I should not make a farthing profit, I would ratify the…

“Miss Lind has great anxiety to visit America. She speaks of this country and its institutions in the highest terms of praise. In her engagement with…

The people soon began to talk about Jenny Lind, and I was particularly anxious to obtain a good portrait of her. Fortunately, a fine opportunity…

After the engagement with Miss Lind was consummated, she declined several liberal offers to sing in London, but, at my solicitation, gave two…

I may as well state, that although I relied prominently upon Jenny Lind’s reputation as a great musical _artiste_, I also took largely into my…

At twelve o’clock that night, she was serenaded by the New York Musical Fund Society, numbering, on that occasion, two hundred musicians. They were…

Various extracts from this brochure were copied in the papers daily, and my agents scattered the work as widely as possible, thus efficiently…

Jenny Lind’s first concert was fixed to come off at Castle Garden, on Wednesday evening, September 11th, and most of the tickets were sold at auction…

On the Tuesday after her arrival I informed Miss Lind that I wished to make a slight alteration in our agreement. “What is it?” she asked in surprise.

Upon drawing the new contract which was to include this entirely voluntary and liberal advance on my part, beyond the terms of the original agreement…

I told him that I would see him on the subject at Miss Lind’s hotel that afternoon, and going there a few moments before the appointed hour, I…

It would seem as if the Jenny Lind mania had reached its culminating point before she appeared, and I confess that I feared the anticipations of…

Upon settling the receipts of the first concert, they were found to be somewhat less than I anticipated. The sums bid at the auction sales,…

The amount of money received for tickets to the first concert was $17,864.05. As this made Miss Lind’s portion too small to realize the $10,000 which…

No one can imagine the amount of head-work and hand-work which I performed during the first four weeks after Jenny Lind’s arrival. Anticipating…

“JENNY LIND AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.--What ancient monarch was he, either in history or in fable, who offered half his kingdom (the price of box…

“Jenny Lind, the most remarkable phenomenon in musical art which has for the last century flashed across the horizon of the old world, is now among…

“We concur in everything that has been said by our musical reporter, describing her extraordinary genius--her unrivalled combination of power and art…

After the first month the business became thoroughly systematized, and by the help of such agents as my faithful treasurer, L. C. Stewart, and the…

DEAR SIR,--I take the liberty to write you a few lines, merely to say that we are getting along as well as could reasonably be expected. In this…