Struggles and Triumphs · Chapter
XI: General Tom Thumb in England explained
Barnum recounts his arrival in London with General Tom Thumb, their debut at the Princess's Theater, and the enormous success that followed.
What happens
Barnum recounts his arrival in London with General Tom Thumb, their debut at the Princess's Theater, and the enormous success that followed. He describes taking a mansion in the fashionable West End, hosting levees for nobility, and the eventual royal command performance at Buckingham Palace. The chapter details the General's charming and natural interactions with Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, and the royal children, as well as the amusing incidents of backing out and fighting a poodle. The visit generated immense publicity, leading to crowded exhibitions at Egyptian Hall and solidifying the General's fame in England.
Themes in this chapter
Showmanship and Humbug
Barnum's strategic use of a mansion, invitations, and royal endorsement to generate buzz and elevate the General's status.
Public Perception and Reputation
The careful management of the General's image through exclusive invitations, press notices, and royal association.
The American Dream
Barnum and Tom Thumb, as Americans, achieve unprecedented success and acceptance in British high society, embodying upward mobility.
Characters to notice
- P. T. Barnum
Narrator and guardian of General Tom Thumb; orchestrates the London exhibition and royal visit.
- General Tom Thumb
The diminutive performer who captivates the British public and royalty with his songs, dances, and witty remarks.
- Mr. James Gordon Bennett
Not directly mentioned, but the 'Court Journal' notice was arranged by Barnum; no direct appearance.
- Charity Barnum
Not mentioned in this chapter.
- Joice Heth
Not mentioned in this chapter.
Key passages
“Immediately after our arrival in London, the General came out at the Princess’s Theater, and made so decided a “hit” that it was difficult to decide who was best pleased, the spectators, the manager, or myself.”
Right after we got to London, the General performed at the Princess's Theater and was such a huge success that everyone—the audience, the theater manager, and I—was equally thrilled.
Barnum describes the immediate and unanimous success of Tom Thumb's London debut.
“I took a furnished mansion in Grafton Street, Bond Street, West End, in the very center of the most fashionable locality.”
I rented a fully furnished house on Grafton Street in the West End, right in the heart of London's most fashionable district.
Barnum strategically chooses a prestigious address to attract high-society visitors.
“The Queen was modestly attired in plain black, and wore no ornaments. Indeed, surrounded as she was by ladies arrayed in the highest style of magnificence, their dresses sparkling with diamonds, she was the last person whom a stranger would have pointed out in that circle as the Queen of England.”
The Queen wore simple black clothes with no jewelry; among all the richly dressed ladies glittering with diamonds, a stranger would never have guessed she was the Queen.
Barnum contrasts Queen Victoria's modest appearance with the opulence of her court.
“The General advanced with a firm step, and as he came within hailing distance made a very graceful bow, and exclaimed, “Good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen!””
The General walked in confidently, bowed elegantly, and greeted everyone with a cheerful 'Good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen!'
Tom Thumb's natural and unscripted behavior delights the royal party.
“I was anxious that the “Court Journal” of the ensuing day should contain more than a mere line in relation to the General’s interview with the Queen, and, on inquiry, I learned that the gentleman who had charge of that feature in the daily papers was then in the Palace.”
I wanted the next day's Court Journal to have a detailed account of the General's meeting with the Queen, so I asked around and found out that the editor responsible for that section was actually in the Palace at that moment.
Barnum actively manages press coverage to maximize publicity from the royal visit.
