Oscar Wilde wasn't the only attraction in America in 1882. The previous year P.T. Barnum, the circus owner, purchased an African bush elephant from London Zoo, with which he toured America from 1882.
The elephant was named Jumbo —and ever since the word has meant large-sized.
Here Oscar and Jumbo pose aesthetically on an advertisement for cotton thread. The reverse of the card is shown below.
Oscar Wilde and Jumbo trade card (and verso) for Clark’s cotton (1882).
Oscar Wilde In America | © John Cooper, 2025
