'The most interesting expression'

 

“Literature is one of the mostinteresting and significant expressions of humanity.” –  P. T.Barnum

Politician,showman, and businessman, Barnum was born on this date in 1810.  He foundedthe internationally acclaimed Barnum & Bailey Circus, and promoted some ofthe most widely sought after events of his time, including concerts – truly thefirst promoter of what today would be called “rock star” tours.  His promotion and nationwide tour of Swedishopera singer Jenny Lind earned hundreds of thousands for himself and Lind andshowed him the true power of great marketing.
He staged dozens of theatrical productions - also the first to be“toured” -  organized flower shows, beauty contests, dog shows and poultrycontests.  His most popular were babycontests (fattest baby, handsomest twins, etc.)         .

Barnum also was an author,publisher, philanthropist, and for some time a politician, but he always saidof himself, "I am a showman by profession...and all the gilding shall makenothing else of me.”  As a writer andeditor, he started a pictorial weekly newspaper Illustrated News andwrote an autobiography, which through many revisions sold more than one millioncopies.  An avid reader, he encouragedeveryone to read, read, read, especially newspapers.  “He who is without a newspaper is truly cutoff from his species.”

 

But, of course, it is hisshowmanship and marketing that have stood the test of time.  “Without promotion,” he once said, “somethingterrible happens... nothing!”

@font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}@font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;}