STRATTON CHARLES S.: (1838-1883) Lot n° 593

STRATTON CHARLES S.: (1838-1883) American Entertainer, known as General Tom Thumb, who achieved fame under the circus pioneer P. T. Barnum. Vintage fountain pen ink signature ('Compliments of Charles S Stratton') by Stratton on an 8vo sheet of plain notepaper, also bearing the signatures of Lavinia Warren (1842-1919) American Entertainer, the wife of Charles S. Stratton, Minnie Warren (1849-1878) American Entertainer, the sister of Lavinia Warren, and Commodore George Washington Morrison Nutt (1848-1881) American Entertainer. Annotated and dated Quebec, 1863, in ink in another hand. A rare set of signatures. Some very light, extremely minor age wear, otherwise VG £250-350 The present signatures date from the same year in which Stratton married Lavinia Warren, despite the advances of Nutt towards her. The marriage, spectacularly masterminded by P. T. Barnum, became front-page news and the wedding took place at the Grace Episcopal Church followed by a reception for 10,000 guests at the Metropolitan Hotel in New York. Nutt reluctantly attended the wedding as Stratton's best man and Minnie Warren acted as her sister's maid of honour. Following the wedding the couple were received by President Abraham Lincoln at the White House.