Chapter
The Story of PT Barnum's "Silver King"
14:02 - 18:06 (04:04)
The "Silver King" was a man of science who opened a museum in New York in the 1840s, filled with curiosities and weird things. His first big "hoax" was resisting PT Barnum's attempts to obtain a mermaid for his own shows.
Clips
This podcast details how Joice Heth, an elderly enslaved woman, was purchased by P.T.
14:02 - 15:49 (01:47)
P.T. Barnum
Summary
This podcast details how Joice Heth, an elderly enslaved woman, was purchased by P.T. Barnum and exhibited as a supposed 161-year-old woman who nursed George Washington, leading to controversy and success for Barnum's career.
ChapterThe Story of PT Barnum's "Silver King"
EpisodeSelects: How Freak Shows Worked
PodcastStuff You Should Know
A man named Levi Lyman refused to sell a "mermaid" to P.T.
15:49 - 18:06 (02:16)
P.T. Barnum
Summary
A man named Levi Lyman refused to sell a "mermaid" to P.T. Barnum in the 1840s, despite Barnum's attempts to acquire it for his museum. Lyman considered himself a man of science and believed the mermaid was a real creature, and even printed pamphlets to try to convince others.