Commodore Nutt
Encyclopedia
George Washington Morrison Nutt (April 1, 1844 – May 25, 1881), better known by his stage name
Commodore Nutt, was a 19th century dwarf
who became famous
working for P. T. Barnum
.
. His father, a farmer
, stood over six feet tall (183 cm) and weighed 270 lb (122.5 kg).
, losing her to General Tom Thumb
, he eventually met and married Lilian Elston in Redwood City, California
. Ms. Elston was said to have been of slight figure, but not much below average size, and she proved to be a devoted wife.
to be exhibited at Barnum's American Museum
that stood at the corner of Broadway
and Ann Street
. The museum, owned by P.T. Barnum and his partner John Scudder, was a combination zoo
, museum
, lecture hall
, wax museum
, theater and freak show
that, at its peak, was open fifteen hours a day and had as many as 15,000 visitors daily.
Nutt was originally known as "$30,000 Nutt" after the amount that Barnum claimed to have paid the young man to accompany him on "expedition". William S. Hutchings
, who worked for Barnum as a "lightning calculator
", later contradicted this claim and said that Nutt received only $15 from Barnum weekly. In New York, Nutt was accompanied by his brother Rodney Nutt. Rodney was paid as a coachman
for his brother's trips around town as these were "one of Barnum's favorite modes of advertising
."
After about three years, Nutt joined the performing troupe headed by General Tom Thumb and Lavinia Warren
. Under the management of Sylvester Bleeker, Nutt traveled the world with that troupe and, according to published accounts, received "the patronage of royalty
in nearly every kingdom
of the Old World
".
", a historical classification of kidney diseases
that would be described in modern medicine
as acute or chronic
nephritis
.
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Commodore Nutt, was a 19th century dwarf
Dwarfism
Dwarfism is short stature resulting from a medical condition. It is sometimes defined as an adult height of less than 4 feet 10 inches , although this definition is problematic because short stature in itself is not a disorder....
who became famous
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
working for P. T. Barnum
P. T. Barnum
Phineas Taylor Barnum was an American showman, businessman, scam artist and entertainer, remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and for founding the circus that became the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus....
.
Early life
Nutt was born in Manchester, New HampshireManchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...
. His father, a farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
, stood over six feet tall (183 cm) and weighed 270 lb (122.5 kg).
Family life
Though Nutt had once wooed Lavinia WarrenLavinia Warren
Lavinia Warren was an American proportionate dwarf and the wife of General Tom Thumb.-Early life:Warren was born at Middleborough, Massachusetts as Mercy Lavinia Warren Bump, a descendant of a French Catholic family named Bonpasse, of Governor Thomas Mayhew, and five Mayflower passengers: John...
, losing her to General Tom Thumb
General Tom Thumb
General Tom Thumb was the stage name of Charles Sherwood Stratton , a dwarf who achieved great fame under circus pioneer P.T. Barnum.-Early life:...
, he eventually met and married Lilian Elston in Redwood City, California
Redwood City, California
Redwood City is a California charter city located on the San Francisco Peninsula in Northern California, approximately 27 miles south of San Francisco, and 24 miles north of San Jose. Redwood City's history spans from its earliest inhabitation by the Ohlone people, to its tradition as a port for...
. Ms. Elston was said to have been of slight figure, but not much below average size, and she proved to be a devoted wife.
Career
When Nutt was 17 years old he was brought to New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to be exhibited at Barnum's American Museum
Barnum's American Museum
Barnum's American Museum was located at the corner of Broadway and Ann Street in New York City, USA, from 1841 to 1865. The museum was owned by famous showman P.T. Barnum and his partner and original owner, John Scudder. Prior to their partnership, the museum was known as Scudder's American...
that stood at the corner of Broadway
Broadway (New York City)
Broadway is a prominent avenue in New York City, United States, which runs through the full length of the borough of Manhattan and continues northward through the Bronx borough before terminating in Westchester County, New York. It is the oldest north–south main thoroughfare in the city, dating to...
and Ann Street
Ann Street (Manhattan)
Ann Street is a 3-block long street located in the Financial District of the New York City borough of Manhattan just south of City Hall.- History :-Early history:...
. The museum, owned by P.T. Barnum and his partner John Scudder, was a combination zoo
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
, museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
, lecture hall
Lecture hall
A lecture hall is a large room used for instruction, typically at a college or university. Unlike a traditional classroom with a capacity from one to four dozen, the capacity of lecture halls is typically measured in the hundreds...
, wax museum
Wax museum
A wax museum or waxworks consists of a collection of wax sculptures representing famous people from history and contemporary personalities exhibited in lifelike poses....
, theater and freak show
Freak show
A freak show is an exhibition of biological rarities, referred to as "freaks of nature". Typical features would be physically unusual humans, such as those uncommonly large or small, those with both male and female secondary sexual characteristics, people with other extraordinary diseases and...
that, at its peak, was open fifteen hours a day and had as many as 15,000 visitors daily.
Nutt was originally known as "$30,000 Nutt" after the amount that Barnum claimed to have paid the young man to accompany him on "expedition". William S. Hutchings
William S. Hutchings
William S. Hutchings, also known as Professor Hutchings and the Lightning Calculator, was a 19th century math prodigy and mental calculator who P. T. Barnum first billed as the "Boy Lightning Calculator"...
, who worked for Barnum as a "lightning calculator
Mental calculator
Mental calculators are people with a prodigious ability in some area of mental calculation, such as multiplying large numbers or factoring large numbers...
", later contradicted this claim and said that Nutt received only $15 from Barnum weekly. In New York, Nutt was accompanied by his brother Rodney Nutt. Rodney was paid as a coachman
Coachman
A coachman is a man whose business it is to drive a coach, a horse-drawn vehicle designed for the conveyance of more than one passenger — and of mail — and covered for protection from the elements...
for his brother's trips around town as these were "one of Barnum's favorite modes of advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
."
After about three years, Nutt joined the performing troupe headed by General Tom Thumb and Lavinia Warren
Lavinia Warren
Lavinia Warren was an American proportionate dwarf and the wife of General Tom Thumb.-Early life:Warren was born at Middleborough, Massachusetts as Mercy Lavinia Warren Bump, a descendant of a French Catholic family named Bonpasse, of Governor Thomas Mayhew, and five Mayflower passengers: John...
. Under the management of Sylvester Bleeker, Nutt traveled the world with that troupe and, according to published accounts, received "the patronage of royalty
Royal family
A royal family is the extended family of a king or queen regnant. The term imperial family appropriately describes the extended family of an emperor or empress, while the terms "ducal family", "grand ducal family" or "princely family" are more appropriate to describe the relatives of a reigning...
in nearly every kingdom
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
of the Old World
Old World
The Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....
".
Stature
Nutt was 36 inches (91 cm) tall when he came to work for Barnum and grew to a total of height of 43 inches (109 cm) inches during his lifetime. The New York Times said that this "celebrated dwarf" was often advertised as "the smallest man in the world" and also noted that although he grew seven inches after joining Barnum "in girth his increase in size was even more marked".Death
Nutt died early morning Wednesday, May 25, 1881 after suffering nearly two months from a severe attack of "Bright's diseaseBright's disease
Bright's disease is a historical classification of kidney diseases that would be described in modern medicine as acute or chronic nephritis. The term is no longer used, as diseases are now classified according to their more fully understood causes....
", a historical classification of kidney diseases
Nephrology
Nephrology is a branch of internal medicine and pediatrics dealing with the study of the function and diseases of the kidney.-Scope of the specialty:...
that would be described in modern medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
as acute or chronic
Chronic (medicine)
A chronic disease is a disease or other human health condition that is persistent or long-lasting in nature. The term chronic is usually applied when the course of the disease lasts for more than three months. Common chronic diseases include asthma, cancer, diabetes and HIV/AIDS.In medicine, the...
nephritis
Nephritis
Nephritis is inflammation of the nephrons in the kidneys. The word "nephritis" was imported from Latin, which took it from Greek: νεφρίτιδα. The word comes from the Greek νεφρός - nephro- meaning "of the kidney" and -itis meaning "inflammation"....
.