Antique Sideshow CDV Admiral Dot Barnum Midget Gihon Thompson Phila Ex-Diesso for Sale

Antique Sideshow CDV Admiral Dot Barnum Midget Gihon Thompson Phila Ex-Diesso For Sale

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Antique Sideshow CDV Admiral Dot Barnum Midget Gihon Thompson Phila Ex-Diesso:
$95.00

Very good antique condition. The albumen print exhibits strong contrast, sharp details, and minimal fading. The card mount shows only minor wear to the edges and corners. The reverse features a clean, highly legible studio backstamp. Please review all photos for exact condition.
Item Specifics:
Type: Photograph
Format: Carte de Visite (CDV)
Subject: Sideshow Performer / Admiral Dot (Leopold Kahn)
Year of Production: ca. 1870s
Photographer: Gihon & Thompson (812 Arch St., Philadelphia)
Original/Reprint: Original Print
Theme: Circus, Sideshow, Human Oddities, Americana, P.T. Barnum
Provenance: Ex-John Diesso Collection; Potter & Potter sales
Item Description:
Original 19th-Century Sideshow CDV: Admiral Dot by Gihon & Thompson
Premium Provenance: Ex-John Diesso Collection
An exceptional original Carte de Visite (CDV) featuring 19th-century sideshow performer Leopold Kahn, famously promoted by P.T. Barnum under the stage name "Admiral Dot."
The photograph showcases a classic promotional staging technique. The diminutive performer is formally dressed in a suit and top hat, holding a small cane, and is posed next to an average-statured gentleman (likely his manager or promoter) who is also sporting a suit and top hat. This side-by-side comparison was deliberately used to visually emphasize the performer's incredibly small size.
Ephemera & Photographer Details:
The bottom margin of the front mount is printed with prominent promotional text:
"ADMIRAL DOT. Thirteen years old; Twenty-five inches high.- Weighs only Fifteen pounds."
The reverse features the elegant crest and backstamp of the Philadelphia photography studio: "Gihon & Thompson, 812 ARCH ST. Philadelphia."
Provenance & Collector History:
This outstanding piece of sideshow history boasts premium provenance, having formerly resided in the esteemed John Diesso Collection of circus, sideshow, and oddities ephemera. It was recently acquired via Potter & Potter sales.
Pricing Suggestion:
CDVs of Barnum's marquee attractions like Admiral Dot are highly desirable. Combined with the excellent contrast and the prestigious John Diesso provenance,Leopold Kahn, famously known as "Admiral Dot," began his performing career for P.T. Barnum in 1869 or 1870, right around the time he was actually 11 to 13 years old.
Discovery and Stage Debut: Barnum discovered Kahn during a trip to San Francisco when the boy's father, Gabriel, introduced them. During his very first performances in Barnum's traveling museum in the early 1870s, Kahn initially appeared on stage alongside his mother.
The "13-Year-Old" Promotional Pitch: The text on the CDV advertising him as "Thirteen years old; Twenty-five inches high.- Weighs only Fifteen pounds" was classic Barnum exaggeration. During this same era of early performances, Barnum frequently altered Kahn's statistics, with other pitch cards claiming he was 16 years old and 19 pounds to make his diminutive size appear even more astounding to ticket buyers.
Stage Personas: In his early teens, he was billed heavily on his California roots, performing under the stage titles "Admiral Dot" and "The El Dorado Elf". Related Items: