This hideous object is the famous "feejee mermaid." Barnum presented it in many places and settings; it was one of his best attractions. First, consider why it might be interesting to look at such an object, which is apparently two different things at the same time, and blends the world of human and animal, land and sea. Then consider how Barnum "framed" the object. As the archive shows, sometimes he advertised it using pictures of a beautiful female figure; sometimes with a more realistic woodcut. Barnum was the master of what he called "humbug." Not exactly fraud, "humbug" was something like the possibility of fraud, or hype.

Above is the label that accompanied the exhibit, which shows Barnum's typical style of writing. It's woozy, rushed and confused; it claims contradictory things; it is as hard to make sense of as the mermaid itself. What is this label saying? Is it claiming that the mermaid is real? Or that it might be real? What is it asking the viewer to do? Why would the viewer pay to see this? Did people believe it was real?

Then consider what American society was like at the time. Was it stable, tradition bound, and unchanging? Or was it being rapidly transformed by new technology, and the "market revolution?" Which world did Barnum's musuem speak to?