HARRINGTON, JONATHAN

Copyright © 2011-2018 John N. Lupia III

Harrington, Jonathan (1809-1881), Boston, Massachusetts. In 1840 he appears to have succeeded E. A. Greenwood’s New-England Museum at Boston. Harrington’s Museum contained Natural History and taxidermy specimens made by William McGuigan. He was a professional entertainer working as a ventriloquist and prestidigitator. He was forced to sell the Museum collection, which contained coins in 1842 being unable to compete with Moses Kimball’s Boston Museum.

Work:

Catalogue of Splendid and Rare Curiosities, Consisting of Paintings, Engravings, Wax Figures, Busts, Animals, Birds, Fishes, Shells, Minerals, &c. to be sold at auction on Monday, July 11, 1842, at 9 o'clock, by N. A. Thompson & Co., at Harrington's Museum in Boston, comprising the whole of Mr. Harrington's Rare and Valuable Collection, including Cosmoramic Views, Conflagration of Moscow, Stage Properties, &c. Boston: David Hooton, Printer, Ruskin's Building, Tremont Street. 27 pages, 766 lots. Lancour No. 36

Bibliography :

Charles C. Sellers, Mr. Peales’ Museum: Charles Wilson Peale and the First Popular Museum of Natural Science and Art. (1980) : 268