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Overview of life
Phineas Taylor Barnum born on July 5, 1810 calling himself the “Prince of Humbugs,” in reference to the many outrageous stunts and exhibits that were part of his exploits as a showman. His tours, museums, lectures, and biography made him famous and wealthy long before he entered the circus business. He eventually formed the innovative Barnum and Bailey Circus in the 1880s. -
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Testing things out
After trying his hand at various jobs, including store clerk, lottery agent, and grocer, Barnum bought the newspaper in his home town of Bethel, Connecticut, a weekly called the Herald of Freedom. Over the course of several years, he was arrested three times for libel and once spent 60 days in jail. In 1834 Barnum moved to New York City to become a shopkeeper, a job he held for about a year. -
Joice Heth Hoax "Theres a Suck Born Every Minute"
He discovered an elderly black woman, Joice Heth, who claimed to be George Washington’s nurse. A promoter in Philadelphia had not had much financial success when he tried to present Heth as the president’s 161-year old nurse. Barnum paid $1,000 for the rights to exhibit Heth for 10 months. Under Barnum’s management, Heth was promoted by sensational advertisements and toured the country telling her supposed memories of the president’s childhood. -
Keeping the Hoax
When ticket sales to the exhibit finally started to fade, Barnum sparked new interest in a manner he often employed; he sent anonymous letters to the newspapers declaring the show was a hoax. One story he circulated claimed that Heth was not even a human, but an automaton, constructed of whalebone, India rubber, and numberless springs. Her so-called memories, the letter declared, were imaginary conversations actually told by the exhibitor who was a ventriloquist -
Start of Muesum and Tour with Genral Tom Thumb
Barnum fixed a exhibit of stuffed animals and other figures but most importantly General Tom Thumb was actually five-year-old Charles Stratton from Bridgeport, Connecticut. In 1842, Barnum contracted with the boy’s parents to exhibit him. Despite the fact that Barnum had discovered a truly extraordinary child, he still decided for publicity purposes to embellish the story and generated hype that the boy was “General Tom Thumb,” an 11 year-old who had just arrived from England. -
International Fame "The Public be Damned"
Barnum and General Tom Thumb sailed for England. With a letter of introduction from a friend, newspaper publisher Horace Greeley, Barnum met the American ambassador in London, Edward Everett. Barnum’s dream was for Queen Victoria to see General Tom Thumb. -
Jenny Lind- "The Swedish Nightingale"
She was a swedish opera singer Barnum brought from overseas to New York. this is consider his most legitmate business endeavor. he never even heard her sing and gave her an offer of a 150-date tour of the United States and Canada with a guaranteed payment of $1,000 per performance. She became a sensation and with Barnum's advertising.Barnum made a fortune for himself and for the singer. He acted as her manager from 1850-1852. -
Legenday Circus Tour-"The Greatest Show on Earth"
He transformed the typically small, wagonbased show into a railroad-travelling, three-ring, electrically lit extravaganza. -
Barnum and Bailey’s Circus- Popularity at its finest
Barnum teamed up with his main competitor, James A. Bailey and created the most popular circus in the country. even bringing in more publicty by introducing the massive elephant Jumbo -
Barnum's Death -"Without promotion something terrible happens nothing"
As his career hit an all time high Barnum died after suffering a stroke during a performance -
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Impact on Public Relations
P. T. Barnum still fascinates the American public with his contradictory ways. While his display of human freaks is judged as demeaning according to current values, he was most often a friend to his cast of “curiosities,” many of who became rich in his employ. -
Hoax of the Loch Ness Monster
In 1934, the photographer, a Dr. Wilson, claimed he was looking at the loch when he saw the monster, so he grabbed his camera and snapped five photos. The image was originally revealed as a fake in 1975. This is an urban myth that is still relevant today and consider one of the greatest hoax of all time -
Kim Kardashian- 72 Day Marriage
After just a 90-day engagement, reality star Kim Kardashian married NBA player Kris Humphries in an over the top wedding which was filmed for her show Keeping up with the Kardashians. After 72 days of marriage she filed for divroce and the marriage was highly disputed as an act of PR and a quick way to make millions of dollars. -
P.T Barnum's Influence -"The Greatest Showman on Earth"
Overall P.T Barnum's influence on public realtions is still and will always be crtical because he started the sector of entertainment public relations and lavish advertising. He is known as the "Father of Entertainment Public Relations " without his controbutions wwe probably wouldnt have entertainment public relations.
