Representative George Washington Morrison

George Washington Morrison Nutt (April 1, 1848 – May 25, 1881), better known by his stage name Commodore Nutt, was an American dwarf and popular nineteenth‑century entertainer closely associated with showman Phineas Taylor Barnum. Born in Manchester, New Hampshire, he was the son of Rodnia Nutt and grew up in modest circumstances in New England. Accounts from later in his life suggest that his career as an entertainer may have begun as early as 1854, when he was still a small child. He may have performed with a small circus in Manchester managed by William C. Walker, who later claimed to have “discovered” Nutt and to have been the first to exhibit him. By his early teens, Nutt’s unusual stature and lively personality had already made him a traveling attraction in the region.

Before coming under Barnum’s management, Nutt was being exhibited and toured through the New England countryside by a manager named Lillie. Lillie charged as little as a nickel for the public to see the boy, whose formal education had been largely neglected. When Barnum learned of Nutt, he was reportedly disgusted by what he regarded as Lillie’s crude methods and lack of refinement in presenting the young performer. Barnum believed that Nutt could be exhibited “in the proper style” and that, with training, he could become a genteel and accomplished public figure rather than a mere curiosity. In 1861, while Nutt was touring New England with a circus, Barnum moved to secure his services for the American Museum in New York City.

Barnum first met Nutt in 1861, when the boy was brought to the American Museum. In his autobiography, Barnum described Nutt as “a most remarkable dwarf, who was a sharp, intelligent little fellow, with a deal of drollery and wit. He had a splendid head, was perfectly formed, and was very attractive, and, in short, for a ‘showman’ was a perfect treasure.” Convinced of his potential, Barnum hired a lawyer to lure Nutt away from his existing manager. Following Barnum’s instructions, the lawyer offered Nutt’s parents a substantial sum of money to sign their son to a five‑year contract, promising that the boy would be taught to be “a genteel, accomplished attractive little man.” On December 12, 1861, a formal contract was signed. Barnum hired the 13‑year‑old, 29‑inch (74 cm) tall George and his 21‑year‑old, 49‑inch (120 cm) tall brother, Rodnia Jr. Under the agreement, Barnum was to provide both brothers with food, clothing, lodging, travel expenses, and medical care, and to oversee their moral and academic education. Their salaries began at twelve dollars per week, with scheduled annual increases so that each would receive thirty dollars per week in the fifth and final year, along with ten percent of the proceeds from souvenir books and photographs—guaranteed at a minimum of $240 in the first year and $440 in the last. At the end of the contract, they were to receive a carriage and a pair of ponies.

Even before Nutt’s public debut, Barnum orchestrated an elaborate publicity campaign. He allowed reporters to believe that he was still attempting to hire the dwarf, prompting rival showmen to rush forward with their own offers to Nutt’s parents. Barnum then leaked a letter to the press claiming that he had been forced to outbid all competitors and had paid $30,000 for Nutt’s services. This figure, widely repeated, led to Nutt being billed as “The $30,000 Nutt.” Barnum also crafted a distinctive stage persona for him, bestowing the nautical title “Commodore Nutt” and outfitting him with a wardrobe of miniature naval uniforms. For his excursions around New York City, Barnum had a small carriage built in the shape of an English walnut, the hinged top of which could be lifted to reveal the Commodore seated inside. Drawn by Shetland ponies and driven by Rodnia Jr. dressed as a coachman, the carriage became a familiar sight in the city and an effective form of advertising. The carriage later entered the collection of the Barnum Museum in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Commodore Nutt made his formal debut at Barnum’s American Museum in February 1862 and quickly became one of its major attractions. His appearance and size reminded many visitors of Barnum’s earlier protégé, General Tom Thumb (Charles Stratton), and some patrons insisted that Nutt was actually Thumb in disguise. Nutt, a mischievous performer, took pleasure in the confusion and sometimes encouraged it. At that time, Thumb was touring the American South and West, but to dispel doubts Barnum recalled him to New York so that the two men could appear together. They were billed as “The Two Dromios” and “The Two Smallest Men, and Greatest Curiosities Living,” opening their joint exhibition on August 11, 1862. Even with both performers on stage simultaneously, some museum‑goers clung to the belief that Nutt was merely Thumb in another guise, a reaction Barnum later cited as an example of the public’s tendency to “deceive themselves by being too incredulous.” About two months after his debut, Nutt playfully extended his celebrity into civic life by meeting with officers of the New York City Police Department, applying for and receiving a symbolic appointment as a policeman. He ordered a uniform and sent a tongue‑in‑cheek telegram to officers of the Ninth Precinct announcing that he had joined the Broadway Squad with “extraordinary powers to arrest” people outside the museum and “take [them] upstairs,” turning the episode into another facet of his public persona.

In 1862 Barnum added another celebrated dwarf to his attractions, Mercy Lavinia Warren Bump of Middleborough, Massachusetts, a former schoolteacher who had been performing on a showboat‑museum in the Midwest. Renamed Lavinia Warren, she first appeared at the American Museum in 1863, at age twenty‑one, standing 32 inches (81 cm) tall and weighing 29 pounds (13 kg). Barnum billed her as “The Queen of Beauty.” Nutt developed what contemporaries described as an “adolescent crush” on her. Barnum had given Lavinia a diamond and emerald ring that did not fit her properly, and he suggested she present it to Nutt as a token of friendship. Nutt interpreted the gift as a sign of romantic affection and became more deeply enamored. Lavinia, however, regarded herself as “quite a woman” and saw Nutt only as a “nice little boy,” several years her junior. When General Tom Thumb met Lavinia during a visit to the museum in the autumn of 1862, he quickly fell in love with her and confided his feelings to Barnum, promising that if Barnum supported his suit he would marry her in a public ceremony. Recognizing the commercial potential of such a spectacle, Barnum urged Lavinia to take Thumb’s courtship seriously and reminded her of Thumb’s wealth.

The much‑publicized “Fairy Wedding” of General Tom Thumb and Lavinia Warren took place at Grace Episcopal Church in New York City on Tuesday, February 10, 1863. Nutt served as best man and Minnie Warren, Lavinia’s sister, as bridesmaid. The event drew enormous public attention: police halted traffic as crowds filled the streets to glimpse the wedding party, and although the ceremony was scheduled for noon, the bride did not arrive until 12:30 p.m. Barnum personally led the party down the center aisle. Two thousand guests were invited, including prominent New Yorkers such as Mrs. John Jacob Astor, Mrs. William H. Vanderbilt, Mrs. Horace Greeley, and General Ambrose Burnside. Some members of the congregation objected to what they derisively called the “marriage of mountebanks” and were angered when told they could not occupy their usual pews. Public fascination with the marriage extended to prurient curiosity about the couple’s intimate life, a topic Barnum neither encouraged nor discouraged. The reception was held at the Metropolitan Hotel on Broadway at 3 p.m., where the four diminutive members of the wedding party stood atop a grand piano so that all could see them. Nutt presented Lavinia with a diamond ring as a wedding gift. For many Americans, the wedding provided a welcome diversion from the hardships and sorrows of the Civil War. For Nutt, however, it was a painful experience; he resented his subordinate role in the spectacle and, according to later accounts, avoided romantic attachments for a considerable time afterward.

In the years following the wedding, newspapers repeatedly reported—erroneously—that Nutt and Minnie Warren had married. In reality, they remained close friends but never husband and wife. Minnie eventually married Edmund Newell, a song‑and‑dance performer who worked on roller skates, and she died in 1878 while giving birth to their child. Nutt, reflecting on his own bachelorhood long after the Thumbs’ wedding, was asked by Barnum why he had not married. “Sir, my fruit is plucked,” he replied, adding that he had decided not to marry until he was thirty. He remarked that his bride’s height would be of no concern to him, though he would “prefer marrying a good, green country girl to anyone else.” He ultimately fulfilled this intention in 1879, when he married Miss Lilian Elston of Redwood City, California, whom he had met while touring the American West. She was somewhat shorter than most women but was not a dwarf.

Between 1869 and 1872, Nutt undertook an extensive world tour with General Tom Thumb, Lavinia Warren, and Minnie Warren. The troupe performed before royalty and elite audiences across Europe and beyond, enhancing their fame and earning substantial sums. When they returned to the United States, they were described as having come back “rich beyond their dreams.” At some point after this period of success, Nutt quarreled with Barnum and left his employ. Seeking to establish an independent career, he toured with a comic opera company and assembled a variety show that traveled along the West Coast of the United States. He also invested in and operated saloons in Oregon and California, attempting to translate his celebrity into business ventures.

Nutt’s later years were marked by mixed fortunes. After his enterprises on the West Coast failed to achieve lasting success, he returned to New York City and purchased a saloon there. The establishment was eventually closed after he was found to be selling liquor without a license. He subsequently took charge of an amusement area known as Rockaway Pier for a time, and later returned to performing with an act called “Tally‑Ho,” demonstrating his continued reliance on the stage and public exhibition for his livelihood. In declining health, Nutt remained in New York, where he died of Bright’s disease on May 25, 1881. His life, though relatively brief, reflected both the opportunities and the exploitative aspects of nineteenth‑century popular entertainment, and he remained one of the most recognizable dwarf performers of his era.