The Great Showman's Motto Was: "Without Promotion Something Terrible Happens: Nothing!"Banner Created by Mark Coleman for The National Fairground Archive Exhibit: Humbug! Celebrating 200 Years Of P.T. Barnum.As journalist H.L Mencken famously said: "No one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." He could have added; "And no one knew that better than P.T. Barnum." This year marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Barnum, who became the first show biz millionaire by catering to the flip side of the public's attraction to the beautiful. Barnum knew that in a repressive society like that of the...
