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Postcard showing Peter and Paul standing, arms at their sides, in top hats, bow ties and evening suits in front of a full size woman wearing a cardigan, pleated skirt and cloche hat. The card would probably have been sold as a souvenir at places where they were exhibited as part of a freak or variety show, in this case, Blackpool Tower.

Freak shows ephemera, box 1.

Peter and Paul : the smallest men on Earth : John Lester's Midgets, Midget Town, the Tower, Blackpool.

Postcard (probably from the early 1920s) showing le Prince Colibri standing with a cane next to a wodden chair with embroidered upholstery. There were at least 4 men who went by the name of le Prince Colibri (and one Princess). This is probably Dimitri Ossopoff. Although his date of birth is given here as 1883 several other sources seem to agree on 1882. The card would probably have been sold as a souvenir at places where they were exhibited as part of a freak or variety show.

1 sheet : illustrations, portrait ; 14 cm

Le Prince Colibri : né le 20 octobre 1883, à Levland (Russie) : mesurant 62 centimètres, pesant 4 kilogrammes.

Postcard showing two women and a man looking down at Hans and Gretel tangoing. The card would probably have been sold as a souvenir at places where they were exhibited as part of a freak or variety show.

1 sheet : illustrations, portraits ; 14 cm

Hans and Gretel : tango midgets from Germany.

Souvenir card showing Commander Nutt (George Washington Morrison Nutt, 1844 - 1881) and Minnie Warren (Huldah Peirce Bump, 1842 - 1878) standing side by side on a carpet between a chair and a cupboard. He is wearing a dress suit and she is wearing a full length ball gown in a light material with ribbon trimmings. The card would probably have been sold as a souvenir at places where they were exhibited as part of a freak or variety show. Both worked for P.T. Barnum in the mid 19th century, Nutt joining in 1863. Minnie's sister Lavinia Warren married 'General Tom Thumb' (Charles Sherwood Stratton, 1838-1883) who also worked with them.

1 sheet : illustrations, portraits ; 11 cm

"Com. Nutt" and Minnie Warren.

Postcard showing Fred Roper in a dark suit, his right arm outstretched and Little Lady Godiva sitting on it, performing a curtsy in a white ballerina tuttu type dress. The card would probably have been sold as a souvenir at places where she was exhibited as part of a freak or variety show.

Fred Roper's wonderful midgets : Fred Roper and Little Lady Godiva : 18 years old, 34 in. high, 29 1/2 lbs weight.

Postcard showing a male and a female midget in 17th century costume holding raised hands as in a dance routine. The card would probably have been sold as a souvenir at places where they were exhibited as part of a freak or variety show.

Glässner's Liliputaner.

Postcard showing The Three Del Rios in smart dress standing in a row, hands on hips, smiling at the camera. The image fades into the white background and has a sepia tint to the black (possibly with ageing). The card was printed by Orcajo Photo Art, Dayton, Ohio for Hamid's Million Dollar Pier, Atlantic City, New Jersey in 1938. The card would have been sold there as a souvenir.

The Three Del Rios : Madrid, Spain : souvenir, Hamid's Million Dollar Pier, Atlantic City, New Jersey 1938.

Postcard showing 8 midgets standing in a row on a rug. The 5 women all have full length, embroidered white dresses and hats decorated with ostrich feathers. The men are wearing evening suits and white bow ties. The company was active in the first couple of decades of the 20th century. The reverse is in German (Post Karte etc.) . The card would probably have been sold as a souvenir at places where the troupe were exhibited as part of a freak or variety show.

The Zeynard's Liliput-Speciality Troupe : [evening dress].

Postcard showing Krichel's troupe of two giants (one male, one female), a fat lady and eight midgets. The men are all wearing suits, the giant has a top hat. The fat lady has her left foot resting on a footstool and the midget women are wearing 1920s 'flapper' dresses, beads and headbands. There is a JK monogram behind them. The card would probably have been sold as a souvenir at places where they were exhibited as part of a freak or variety show and there are several with the same title.

1 sheet : illustrations, portraits ; 10 x 15 cm

Gruss von Krichel's Riesen- und Märchen-Revue.

Postcard showing Colosso, a 44 stone 19 year old young man wearing a kilt and sporran with a woollen sash over his shoulder sitting on a carved wooden chair. This postcard would probably have been sold as a souvenir at places where he was exhibited as part of a freak show.

1 broadside : illustrations, portrait ; 14 cm

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Peter and Paul : the smallest men on Earth : John Lester's Midgets, Midget Town, the Tower, Blackpool.

Le Prince Colibri : né le 20 octobre 1883, à Levland (Russie) : mesurant 62 centimètres, pesant 4 kilogrammes.

Hans and Gretel : tango midgets from Germany.

"Com. Nutt" and Minnie Warren.

Fred Roper's wonderful midgets : Fred Roper and Little Lady Godiva : 18 years old, 34 in. high, 29 1/2 lbs weight.

Glässner's Liliputaner.

The Three Del Rios : Madrid, Spain : souvenir, Hamid's Million Dollar Pier, Atlantic City, New Jersey 1938.

The Zeynard's Liliput-Speciality Troupe : [evening dress].

Gruss von Krichel's Riesen- und Märchen-Revue.

"Colosso" : age: 19 years, weight: 44 st., height: 6ft, 2 1/2 ins.

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Active filters:

Peter and Paul : the smallest men on Earth : John Lester's Midgets, Midget Town, the Tower, Blackpool.

Le Prince Colibri : né le 20 octobre 1883, à Levland (Russie) : mesurant 62 centimètres, pesant 4 kilogrammes.

Hans and Gretel : tango midgets from Germany.

"Com. Nutt" and Minnie Warren.

Fred Roper's wonderful midgets : Fred Roper and Little Lady Godiva : 18 years old, 34 in. high, 29 1/2 lbs weight.

Glässner's Liliputaner.

The Three Del Rios : Madrid, Spain : souvenir, Hamid's Million Dollar Pier, Atlantic City, New Jersey 1938.

The Zeynard's Liliput-Speciality Troupe : [evening dress].

Gruss von Krichel's Riesen- und Märchen-Revue.

"Colosso" : age: 19 years, weight: 44 st., height: 6ft, 2 1/2 ins.

Stay in the know

Wellcome collectionWellcome Collection

Finding us:

Opening times:

Today's opening times

Wellcome collection