Jenny Lind in St. Louis

Jenny Lind, often called the Swedish Nightingale, was one of the most highly regarded opera singers of the nineteenth century. She first rose to fame in the late 1830s, and throughout the 1840s she performed in operas in Sweden and the rest of Europe. During this period she became closely associated with composer Felix Mendelssohn. In early 1849, at the age of 28, she announced her retirement from opera while still at the height of her popularity.

But she was not through singing. Later the same year, showman P. T. Barnum approached her about touring the United States, and she finally accepted. Under Barnum's promoting hand, Lind became a celebrity in America even before she left Europe, and the tour, which began in the fall of 1850, was a great success. "Lind mania," as the press called the tremendous reception she received, swept across the country. The public loved Jenny Lind not just for her singing ability but also for her noble generosity, as she donated all the proceeds from her tour to charity, much of it to support free schools in her native Sweden.
The tour reached St. Louis in 1851 for a series of four performances at Wyman's Hall between the 17th and the 26th of March. Recalling the concerts many years later (1888), a St. Louis newsman said it was hard for the present generation to appreciate the level of excitement Jenny Lind's appearance in the city generated. The price of general admission to the St. Louis concerts was set at ten cents, but, as had been the case in many of the other places Jenny performed, tickets were in such demand that those who wanted good seats had to bid on them. The choicest seat for Jenny's first performance in St. Louis brought $150. The second highest bidder paid $100 for his seat, while half a dozen seats fetched $75 apiece. Very few seats sold for less than five dollars, and almost all brought more than the general admission price.
A man from Hannibal was one of few lucky ones who got in to see Jenny for only the general admission price. He did not get a prime seat, but he was more than satisfied nonetheless. Calling himself "a Jenny Lind man," he described in a letter to his hometown newspaper two days later the exquisite joy of getting to see and listen to Miss Lind: After an overture, exceedingly well performed by the orchestra but which we could hardly appreciate in our anxiety to get a look and a "list" at the gentle Swede, all seemed held in a delightful and almost breathless state of expectation till at last she half fluttering and tripping came upon the stage. She was welcomed with much applause, and scarcely raising her eyes continued curtsying until the clapping stopped, when she burst forth in strains so sweet and clear--strains so unlike anything we had ever heard before, that we were ready to exclaim, "Not mortal, but an angel sings!" ...I cannot find language to do her justice. ...So perfectly beautiful and graceful she appeared.
Not everyone was as impressed with Jenny's beauty and singing ability as the Hannibal man. A correspondent to a Glasgow newspaper who went to one of Jenny's performances said he was disappointed in her singing, even though her voice was perfectly under control. She could easily reach high and low notes with perfect pitch, but he thought her voice lacked the tenderness and sweetness he expected. And as for her appearance, the Glasgow correspondent thought she was rather homely. It was only her natural and graceful movements and the sincerity and simplicity of her expression that made her "appear far more beautiful than she really is."
But even the Glasgow man was impressed by Jenny's generosity. She had already given away $30,000 in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia to local charities, especially those helping orphans. Before leaving St. Louis, she donated $2,000 to be used by churches and benevolent societies to aid the needy.
Jenny was growing tired of Barnun's relentless promotion of her tour, and shortly after her St. Louis performances, she parted amicably with the showman and continued to tour the US for another year on her own terms.
Returning to Europe, Jenny married and reared a family. Although she never returned to opera, she continued to occasionally perform at concert halls. She died in 1887.
Jenny Lind was commemorated throughout Europe and North America both before and after her death. She had buildings, streets, and public places named after her and memorials erected in her honor. In Springfield, Missouri, for instance, there is an apartment building named after her.

Note: Image from the Library of Congress