ALS, one page, 4.5 x 7.5, no date but circa 1840s. Letter to Mssrs. Tucker, in part: “Please get a slip printed immediately in some peculiar color and run it diagonally across all your bills saying Will Soon Close & get it posted on all the Tom Thumb bills before Sunday morning next.” Barnum adds a handwritten postscript, “I think Will Shortly Close reads better and should be printed large type…you had better order them at once.” Docketed on the reverse, most likely by Barnum, “Mr. Barnum Regent Street.” In fine condition, with intersecting folds. Barnum was a self-made millionaire whose riches and wildly popular circuses were the direct result of his cutting edge advertising tactics. His experimentation with ad content—from deadlines and guarantees to active tense and dramatic visuals—revolutionized the modern marketing practices. Barnum’s specific mention of Tom Thumb here is an uncommon treat. Pre-certified PSA/DNA.
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