The Fiji (also spelled as ‘Feejee’) mermaid was a sideshow attraction that gained immense popularity during the 19th century. Displayed initially in 1842 by P.T. Barnum, an American showman and entrepreneur, at Barnum’s American Museum in New York, this curiosity drew large crowds to the museum. Such was its popularity that more Fiji mermaids would later be exhibited across the United States.
Although Barnum’s original mermaid is often said to have been destroyed in a fire that consumed Barnum’s museum in 1865, historical records indicate that at that time, the mermaid would have been on display at Kimball’s Boston Museum. Sadly, it perished when that museum also succumbed to flames in the early 1880s. Some claims suggest that the mermaid was rescued from one of the fires and continues to be exhibited to this day.
The tale of the Fiji mermaid’s arrival in the United States commences with the appearance of an Englishman named ‘Dr. J. Griffin’ (actually Levi Lyman, an associate of Barnum’s) in New York in mid-July 1842. Claiming to be a member of the ‘British Lyceum of Natural History,’ Griffin presented a mermaid purportedly captured near the Fiji Islands in the South Pacific. Word of Griffin’s arrival, accompanied by his peculiar specimen, spread quickly through the press. Reporters flocked to Griffin’s hotel, eager to catch a glimpse of the mermaid. After witnessing the creature, they were thoroughly convinced of its authenticity.
Not long after, P.T. Barnum paid visits to the major newspapers in New York, where he explained his efforts to persuade Griffin to exhibit the mermaid in his museum. Unfortunately, Griffin was initially hesitant to agree. Coincidentally, Barnum had already prepared an advertisement featuring a typical European mermaid woodcut for the exhibition, which he now had no use for. Thus, he offered it to the newspapers, who decided to print the woodcut. Additionally, Barnum reportedly distributed 10,000 pamphlets featuring depictions of alluring mermaids throughout the city.
This elaborate publicity stunt quickly made Griffin’s Fiji mermaid the talk of New York. Eventually, Griffin relented and agreed to showcase his mermaid for a week at Concert Hall on Broadway. The week-long exhibition proved immensely popular, prompting Griffin to extend the display in New York. It was ultimately arranged for the mermaid to be exhibited at Barnum’s American Museum for a month. Alongside the exhibition, Griffin also delivered lectures to the crowds eager to catch a glimpse of the mysterious mermaid.
What awaited the crowds at the exhibit was far from the beautiful, bare-breasted mermaids depicted in Barnum’s promotional materials. Instead, they were met with the preserved body of a small abomination. Later revelations disclosed that the Fiji mermaid was, in fact, the upper half of a juvenile monkey stitched onto the lower half of a fish. It’s worth noting that Barnum did not create the Fiji mermaid, and similar objects had been crafted in Asia (specifically Japan and the East Indies) long before the showman acquired his purported mermaid.
The fame of the mermaid
The famous Fiji mermaid is thought to have been made in Japan around 1810, where this was allegedly a traditional art form amongst fishermen. Barnum’s mermaid was bought by Dutch merchants, who then sold it to an American sea captain by the name of Samuel Barrett Eades in 1822. Eades paid a huge amount of money for the mermaid, but was not able to make a fortune from exhibiting it. Following his death, the mermaid was given to his son, who sold it to Moses Kimball. It was Kimball from whom Barnum had leased the mermaid.
Following its month-long exhibition at Barnum’s American Museum, the Fiji mermaid embarked on a Southern Tour, intending to captivate audiences further afield. However, this tour was abruptly curtailed due to a feud it incited in South Carolina. Subsequently, the Fiji mermaid divided its time between Barnum’s museum and Kimball’s in Boston over the next two decades. In 1859, it embarked on a tour in London, expanding its audience across the Atlantic. Upon its return, the mermaid found its final resting place on display at Kimball’s Boston Museum, marking the end of its known whereabouts.
There are conflicting accounts regarding the fate of the Fiji mermaid. One belief suggests that it met its demise during a fire that ravaged Barnum’s museum in 1865. However, it has been noted that at that time, the mermaid would likely have been housed in Kimball’s museum. Therefore, it has been proposed that the mermaid may have vanished in the early 1880s when Kimball’s museum fell victim to a fire.
Alternatively, there are claims that the Fiji mermaid may have survived and found its way to Harvard’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. While this museum does indeed possess a Fiji mermaid, its authenticity as the original specimen is uncertain. Additionally, several other museums around the world exhibit Fiji mermaids, reflecting the enduring fascination with these objects, despite their status as fakes.
