Description:

Mrs. Tom Thumb & Second Husband in the Old West, Circa 1890

Cabinet card, measuring 6.75" x 10", ca. 1890, Butte, MT. A rare oversized photograph depicting two of entertainment's most enduring personalities, Lavinia Warren (A.K.A. Mrs. Tom Thumb) and her second husband, Count Primo Magri, who appeared for years with P.T. Barnum's traveling show. Highlighting the photographic style of the Old West, the image is displayed on original moss-green mount featuring imprint from The Doré Studio of Butte, Montana. Captioned on verso in blue fountain pen "Count and Countess Magri (Mrs. Gen. Tom Thumb) and Mrs. D. F. Haggerty." Mount fractionally trimmed at left, with some scuffing at rounded corners and margins, not affecting image; minor hairline blemishes and staining to photo's surface, else very good.

With beginnings as a local schoolteacher, Lavinia Warren (1841-1919) first began work in entertainment after learning of the success of other dwarves in showbusiness, namely Charles Stratton (a.k.a. Tom Thumb). The two would be later introduced by P.T. Barnum, acting as their manager, and were married during an elaborate ceremony on February 10, 1863. The match acted as a catalyst for their continued fame, resulting in visits to such figures as Abraham Lincoln and Queen Victoria, lasting until Stratton's sudden passing in 1883. Lavinia would go on to remarry two years later, this time with Count Primo Magri (1849-1920), an Italian performer who stood at 2 ft 8 in. tall- approximately 2 inches shorter than her first husband.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE! 

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

September 6, 2023 11:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000