Mr. Barnum

Old Grizzly Adams

Mr. Barnum employs or exhibits Old Grizzly Adams as a showman and performer in his museum.

Old Grizzly Adams

Mr. Barnum employs or exhibits Old Grizzly Adams as a showman and performer in his museum.

Publisher's Note

Defended as a man of integrity, effective speaker, and public benefactor despite the 'humbug' label.

The Humbugs of the World

Author and narrator of the work, presenting a survey of humbugs.

Part I: Personal Reminiscences

The author and narrator, reflecting on his own experiences with humbug and showmanship.

Definition of Humbug

Author and narrator; defines humbug and recounts his own attempt to send the first Atlantic Telegraph message.

III

The narrator and interlocutor who meets Mangin in Paris and compares notes on attracting the public.

IV

Barnum narrates the story, making a bet with Adams and ultimately being outwitted by Adams' final request.

The Golden Pigeons

Narrator and orchestrator of the golden pigeon humbug; buys the painted pigeons to expose Grizzly Adams's exaggerations.

The Whale, the Angel Fish, and the Golden Pigeon

Narrator and proprietor of the American Museum, who deals with incredulous visitors and admits to the painted pigeon trick.

VIII

The narrator, who becomes a devoted customer of Brandreth's Pills and later meets the doctor.

Chapter XI

Narrator and expositor of the medium's fraudulent methods.

Spiritual Photographing

Author and narrator, who exposes the fraud of spirit photography and offers a $500 challenge to mediums.

Chapter XVII

The author and narrator, who provides critical commentary on the spiritualist deceptions and the gullibility of the public.

Lottery Sharks and Swindles

Author and expositor of the lottery swindles, analyzing the letters and circulars.

XXII

Narrator and compiler of the swindles described, offering commentary and warnings.

XXIII

Narrator and commentator on the humbugs described in the chapter.

XXV The Tulipomania

The narrator and author, who tells the story of the Tulipomania and its lessons.

John Bull's Great Money Humbug: The South Sea Bubble in 1720

Not directly mentioned, but the chapter's theme of humbug aligns with Barnum's exposés.

XXVIII

Narrator and commentator on medical humbugs.

XXIX

The author and narrator who investigates and condemns the various impostors.

Monsignore Cristoforo Rischio: The Humbug of Florence

Referenced indirectly as a model for comparison; the author notes Rischio as a model for quack doctors, linking to Barnum's own humbuggery.

The Twenty-Seventh Street Ghost

Narrator and accused progenitor of the ghost hoax; denies involvement and reflects on the public's gullibility.

The Moon-Hoax

The narrator and author of the book, who provides the account of the hoax and its aftermath.

Part VII: Ghosts and Witchcrafts

Author and commentator on humbug

Haunted Houses and Superstition Exposed

Narrator and recipient of Kirby's story; reflects on the power of superstition.

Haunted Houses, Ghosts, and Superstitions

Narrator and author, reflecting on his own childhood exposure to ghost stories and the universal love of the marvelous.

Witchcraft

Author and narrator, presenting a critical analysis of witchcraft as a humbug.

Charms and Incantations

The narrator, who compiles and comments on the various charms and incantations, exposing them as humbug.

XLII

Narrator and commentator, providing context and judgment on St. Germain's humbug.

XLIII

Referenced implicitly as the narrator of this historical humbug, drawing parallels to his own showmanship and the gullibility of the public.

XLV

The narrator, who provides a skeptical account of Joanna Southcott's humbug and its effects.

Ordeals—Duels—Wager of Battle—Abraham Thornton—Red Hot Iron—Boiling Water—Swimming—Swearing—Corsned—Pagan Ordeals

Narrator and commentator throughout the chapter, analyzing the superstitious and humbug nature of ordeals.