Upon my research of the association of Barnum and Whitman, I discovered that Whitman interviewed Barnum for the Brooklyn Diary Eagle as well as recorded accounts of at least two visits to the museum in the newspaper. Whitman was fascinated by museums and they apparently impacted his poetry and study of the human quite profoundly. He would sometimes sit at the Barnum American Museum and "positions a chair in front of a window, where he can watch the passing traffic, “the busiest spectacle this busy
city can present.” [Barney Walt Whitman: 19th Century Popular Culture] Barnum was a major part of culture during Whitman's times, so it was something he could not ignore in his study of humanity. In fact, Barnum's autobiography The Life of P.T. Barnum came out the same year as Whitman's Leaves of Grass.
Barnum and Whitman were both interested in the culture of humanity, and what struck them and what unified them. They both wanted to influence vast amounts of people, although Barnum for ticket sales while Whitman for understanding or even creating a common thread among people. In order to do so, they both realized the importance of advertising. They both took out ads in papers etc, themselves, making commentary on their own work and showing it in a positive light. Barnum would start up controversy about his own exhibits in order to boost ticket sales, while Whitman would post various ads, talking up his most recent publications.
These two seem to be worlds of different, but in fact they interacted and had some strong connection in their time because they both had a strong desire and curiosity to understand and associate with humanity.
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