The Real Greatest Showman

Short History Of...

Noiser

History

4.8 • 4.1K Ratings

🗓️ 13 April 2025

⏱️ 61 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

PT Barnum may be better known as the loose subject of the movie The Greatest Showman, but his life was so much more than that work of fiction. A master of entertainment, an entrepreneur, and a genius of publicity, he built a career on feeding public curiosity with his grand illusions. But his legacy is complicated, as many of his attractions reflect a world where sensationalism outweighed morality. His methods, viewed through a modern lens, raise troubling questions about the exploitation of show business. So how did PT Barnum beat the odds, time and again, to turn a spectacle into an empire? How did a fake mermaid, a tiny general, and giant elephant help make his name? And behind all the smoke and mirrors, was he really the Greatest Showman on Earth? This is a Short History Of The Real Greatest Showman. A Noiser Production, written by Sean Coleman. With thanks to Kathleen Maher, Executive Director of the Barnum Museum in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Get every episode of Short History Of a week early with Noiser+. You’ll also get ad-free listening, bonus material, and early access to shows across the Noiser network. Click the Noiser+ banner to get started. Or, if you’re on Spotify or Android, go to noiser.com/subscriptions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:33.2	It's spring, 1844, in London, England.
0:44.3	In the corridor outside the Queen's Picture Gallery in Buckingham Palace, a tall man paces nervously.
0:50.5	Beyond a grand pair of doors, the Queen of England waits to be entertained.
0:57.7	And this man, P.T. Barnum, showman and promoter extraordinaire, has an act that's fast becoming the talk of London's high society. For the last 20 minutes, he's been receiving a
1:06.3	crash course in royal etiquette from the gentleman usher who is still fussing around him.
1:12.5	He has been briefed on titles, warned not to talk to the queen directly, and shown how to bow
1:17.9	correctly. Apparently, even leaving the room must be done slowly and backwards, facing
1:24.5	her majesty at all times.
1:32.2	It's a lot for the tall American to take in, but he has to get this meeting right.
1:38.1	A royal endorsement will catapult their fame and fortune to new heights.
1:45.9	For his small companion, standing proudly nearby, no such rules apply.
1:57.9	The Queen has declared that General Tom Thumb, as he's known to the public, should be spared the rigour of royal protocol.
2:03.6	She wants to meet the young entertainer just as he is. General Tom Thumb, the man in miniature, is in fact neither a general nor an adult man.
2:11.6	He is a six-year-old boy called Charles Stratton. But admitting that would detract from the astounding show Barnham is about
2:20.2	to present. Uncommonly talented, even at this young age, Tom Thum's dwarfism means he stands just
2:26.9	two foot tall and weighs only around 15 pounds. Small he may be, but he's as bright as a button
2:33.2	and brimming with confidence.
	...

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