Marvelous [sic] Midget with Genl. Tom Thumb's Museum thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Marvelous [sic] Midget with Genl. Tom Thumb's Museum

Trade Card
1882 (Printed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This is one of a set of chromolithograph cards produced by Ballin & Liebler in 1882 advertising a tour managed by H.R. Jacobs of a Variety company starring 'General' Tom Thumb, or Charles Stratton (1838-1883) and his wife Lavinia (1842-1919). The New York lithographic company Ballin & Liebler issued two other sets of advertising cards related to General Tom Thumb and his wife illustrated with images of their appearance before royalty on one of their European tours, and of their wedding in 1863.

This card is shaped like an artist's palette as a novelty, and illustrated with an image of an impossibly small Tom Thumb standing on the palm of a man's hand. He and his wife Lavinia appeared, along with 'Major' Edward Newell, the skater on 'parlor skates', Zoe Meleke and her performing canaries, J. H. Whiston the 'humourist and facial artist' and James W. Bingham the ventriloquist.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleMarvelous [sic] Midget with Genl. Tom Thumb's Museum (published title)
Materials and techniques
Printing ink on card
Brief description
Trade card illustrated with an image of 'General' Tom Thumb standing on the palm of a man's hand, advertising Tom Thumb and his troupe appearing at the Academy of Music, for a week from 23rd October 1882. Colour lithograph printed by Ballin & Liebler, New York
Physical description
Advertising trade card in the shape of an artist's palette illustrated with an image of Tom Thumb standing on the palm of an outstretched man's hand (recto) and printed in blue ink (verso) with details of General Tom Thumb, his wife and Company's appearance at the Academy of Music.
Dimensions
  • Height: 10.5cm (Note: maximum height)
  • Width: 7.8cm (Note: maximum width)
Object history
This is one of a series of trade cards printed by Ballin & Liebler to advertise the tour of Tom Thumb, his wife Lavinia and their Variety troupe in the autumn of 1882, including the skater Edward Newell, Zoe Meleke and her performing canaries, the impressionist J. H. Whiston, and the ventriloquist James W. Bingham. Six cards were printed in this set, illustrating the different acts on the tour.
Associations
Summary
This is one of a set of chromolithograph cards produced by Ballin & Liebler in 1882 advertising a tour managed by H.R. Jacobs of a Variety company starring 'General' Tom Thumb, or Charles Stratton (1838-1883) and his wife Lavinia (1842-1919). The New York lithographic company Ballin & Liebler issued two other sets of advertising cards related to General Tom Thumb and his wife illustrated with images of their appearance before royalty on one of their European tours, and of their wedding in 1863.

This card is shaped like an artist's palette as a novelty, and illustrated with an image of an impossibly small Tom Thumb standing on the palm of a man's hand. He and his wife Lavinia appeared, along with 'Major' Edward Newell, the skater on 'parlor skates', Zoe Meleke and her performing canaries, J. H. Whiston the 'humourist and facial artist' and James W. Bingham the ventriloquist.
Associated objects
Collection
Accession number
S.255-2018

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Record createdOctober 18, 2018
Record URL
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