P.T. Barnum- Grandfather of Comic-Con?!

Betsy Golden Kellem will give a talk at the museum on “P.T. Barnum- Grandfather of Comic-Con?!”.

About the talk,  Betsy writes, “At the height of his circus fame in 1889, Barnum joined other writers and entertainers to address a packed house in Brooklyn for a new sort of gathering: one of the world’s first fan conventions. Golden Hours, a popular “story paper” full of adventure stories for young readers, had prepared a jam-packed evening of entertainment for its fans, and children were treated to hours of performance from musicians, Civil War veterans, ventriloquists and caricaturists, with the schedule running until nearly midnight. The keynote speaker was no less than circus mogul P.T. Barnum, who at 79 years old could still leave a crowd hanging on his every word. Looking at Barnum’s participation in and impact on popular entertainment and fan culture, we’ll explore the question: did P.T. Barnum create Comic-Con? (He just might have.)”