The Lost Museum Archive

P. T. Barnum's unprecedented media campaign to promote Jenny Lind's American tour included extensive press coverage of her moral character as well as her singing abilities, poetry contests, and the sale of a wide range of Lind memorabilia. Designed for middle-class households, these consumer products heralded the singer's modesty, benevolence, and selflessness. The display of Lind objects in the home, such as these decorative pieces, would have communicated the owners' desire to emulate Lind's moral values.