Mademoiselle Jenny Lind, New York Herald, September 16, 1850

This newspaper account details the public and commercial frenzy surrounding every movement by the singer Jenny Lind during her stay in New York City. Lind sat for a daguerreotype portrait (located in this archive) by the famed photographer Mathew Brady, whose studio was located on Broadway a few doors away from the American Museum. Demand for tickets to her concerts remained strong as word spread about her talent and Barnum continued his relentless publicity.

Mademoiselle Jenny Lind

The theme of every tongue is still Jenny Lind, her concerts, and her munificent charities. She has won all hearts. Hence, wherever her carriage goes, there is a crowd collected around it, and the people feast their eyes upon her as if she was an angel, and not a mere woman.

On Saturday last, as 12 o'clock, she visited Mr. Brady's magnificent daguerreotype gallery, at his earnest solicitation, in order to have her likeness taken. As soon as it was known she was there, a large crowd collected around the place, which continued to increase to such a degree, that it became rather formidable to face it by the time the likeness was completed. A ruse was accordingly resorted to, and she was conducted out of the door in Fulton street, instead of Broadway; but the crowd were not to be outwitted so easily. The moment they perceived the movement, they made a rush, and one of the hard-fisted actually thrust his hand into the carriage and held it, swearing that he must see Jenny Lind. The carriage was completely surrounded, and the driver whipped the horses, when one or two persons were thrown down, but were not severely hurt.

A rather curious coincidence took place in connexion [sic] with the visit to Brady's gallery. The book sale of Bangs & Platt's opposite, was finished, with the exception of a quantity of copies of the life of Jenny Lind, which were up for sale, and the auctioneer was about to knock them down, when the carriage drove up, and the crowd collected. The purchasers hearing what it was, were so excited that they contested seriously for the work, and the result was that it sold at a very high price. There was quite a rush for it.

During Saturday, there was a continual tide of human beings passing into Barnum's Museum, for the purpose of purchasing tickets for Tuesday's concert. The choice seats sold nearly as well as by auction, and the others brought good prices. The back seats sold for $2, and the promenade tickets, giving the right to hear her, standing up around the passages in the lower part of the house and in the balcony, for $1. There has been a great rush for the promenade tickets as it is now ascertained that there is no part of the house where her voice cannot be heard, and on the promenade, outside the gallery, just as distinctly as within the building. Those persons who occupied the small boats around the Garden, during the two concerts, heard her very plainly and a gentleman who was in a steamboat, near the Castle, during one of the rehearsals, stated to us that he heard her wonderful strains almost as well as if he were within its walls.

The bill of fare prepared for tomorrow evening, is indeed a feast of music, and will be sure to bring a very full house. Astonished and dazzled, as the people of New York have been at what they had heard, the best performances of Jenny Lind are yet to come.

We learn that, in Philadelphia, a subscription of $10 per ticket is being got up, in order to induce the Nightingale to sing there.

Mademoiselle Lind remained in retirement all day yesterday, not having gone out even to church.