This is the first of three new posts for our P.T. Barnum section today, in observance of the showman’s birthday. He’s top of mind at the moment because I conducted a walking tour of notable show biz history sites in New York the other day, and in doing so, realized the extent to which Barnum was woven throughout the entire story, enough to justify a tour of his own. None of the buildings I refer to here are still standing. This is strictly for those interested in where things used to be. It moves geographically in an uptown direction, rather than chronologically.
Castle Garden (The Battery): site where Barnum presented Jenny Lind in 1850
The American Museum (Broadway and Ann Streets), 1841-65
Bowery Amphitheatre (37-39 Bowery). Barnum worked as an ad writer here just prior to taking over the American Museum 1841
99-101 Bowery. Barnum leased a storefront at this address soon after moving to NYC in 1834. He sold “shoe blacking, cologne and bear grease” — an odd assortment of products that clearly had just tumbled his way
George B. Bunnell’s New American Museum (103-105 Bowery) Bunnell operated the premiere dime museum here 1876-79. Barnum was his major backer
Niblo’s Garden (Broadway and Prince) Barnum first exhibited here in 1835, marking his entry into show business
Bunnell’s Museum Second Location (298 Bowery) 1879-87
Vauxhall Gardens (between 4th street and Astor Place, Bowery and Broadway). Barnum presented variety acts in the saloon 1840-41
The Great Roman Hippodrome (Madison Square) Barnum leased a chunk of land from Commodore Vanderbilt in 1874-76 for his spectacle, also known as Barnum’s Monster Classical and Geological Hippodrome. It was basically a roofless arena with an oval track in the middle, and hundreds of wooden benches for spectators. In 1879 it became the first Madison Square Garden. When the second Madison Square Garden was built there in 1890, Barnum was one of the backers.
This is nine sites. A walking tour could easily be augmented by adding some apples off of Barnum’s tree. For example, the Father of Vaudeville Tony Pastor started out working for Barnum as a boy. Pastor operated at 199-201 Bowery, then 444 Broadway, then 575 Broadway, then finally at Tammany Hall, Union Square, the present site of Mt. Sinai Hospital. B.F. Keith, whose organization eventually gobbled up the entire vaudeville business, had worked for both Bunnell and Barnum, though a walking tour of all the buildings that ever had his name on it would be prohibitively taxing for a pedestrian even within New York City! But if you found yourself at Tony Pastor’s Tammany site, you would be down the street from Keith’s Union Square, his first NYC location and one of the most important.
For more on P.T. Barnum’s role in show business history please check out No Applause, Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous.