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Unknown maker
Open locket entitled "Somebody's Luggage"
1862 (ca)
Locket
7/8 ins (tall)
Private collection of Jack and Beverly Wilgus
LL/64127
Charles Dicken published the story "Somebody's Luggage" in All the Year Round in 1862 and presumably this locket was manufactured at around the same time.
When the clasp is opened an accordion pleat of five little oval frames is released. Each of the oval mats is two sided. They contain 10 tiny albumen prints of Tom Thumb, Lavinia, Minnie, Nutt, and other of Barnum's little people.
Lockets like this were given out, or sold, as souvenirs to celebrate the wedding of Tom Thumb to Lavinia Warren in 1863.
http://dev.blog.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk/tiny-19th-century-photographic-souvenir-of-tom-thumbs-wedding/
A further possible, if uncertain connection, is in an account of the travels of Tom Thumb where there is an encounter with Native Americans...
"I presented each Indian with a locket containing photographs of the Lilliputs, to their evident satisfaction and delight."
/blockquote>
Sylvester Bleeker, 1872, "Gen. Tom Thumb's Three Years' Tour Around the World: Accompanied by His Wife, Lavinia Warren Stratton, Commodore Nutt, Miss Minnie Warren, and Party," (New York: printed by S. Booth) p. 32 [Available on Google Books]
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