Ribbon badge for the “Unveiling of the Barnum Statue”

The printed ribbon badge made of silk was created for the debut of the impressive P.T. Barnum statue in Seaside Park located in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The installation of the bronze sculpture of Barnum by Thomas Ball took place on July 4, 1893, twenty-seven months after his passing. Guests at the event were designated through the wearing of this ribbon; various versions were made to be utilized for many guests and officials. This artifact illuminates P.T. Barnum in a more mundane and formal manner, aside from the perception seen today as the three-ring huckster and well-acclaimed showman.

More related links:

Thomas Ball. (n.d.). Lexico.com. Retrieved March 8, 2022, from https://www.spellmangallery.com/artists/thomas-ball

Grundhauser, E. (2016, March 30). The Cursed History of P.T. Barnum’s Museums. Atlasobscura.com.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-cursed-history-of-pt-barnums-museums

Maher, K. (n.d.). P.T. Barnum, The Man, The Myth, The Legend. Barnum-museum.org. https://barnum-museum.org/about/the-man-the-myth-the-legend/