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PAULINE MUSTERS – The Little Princess
In the history of the world, little Pauline Musters is the smallest mature woman ever officially recorded. Pauline was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as having stood only 1 foot 11.2 inches in height.
Born on February 26, 1876 in Ossendrecht in the Netherlands Pauline Munster’s was almost half of her final height straight from her mother’s womb. At birth, she was just over 12 inches. At age nine, the tiny dynamo weighed only three pounds and in adulthood Pauline Munster weighed less than nine pounds. Her measurements at age 19 were 181/2 -19-17, meaning she had curvy little figure and in truth she had no shortage of male suitors.
Pauline began her profession career as an infant. At that time the public simply marveled at her tiny proportions, but as she grew older Pauline took to performing as well. She was eventually known for being an adept acrobat and for skilfully dancing with partners drawn from the audience. As her performances progressed in quality, Pauline took on many unique stage names. She was perhaps best known simply as Princess Pauline and on par with her name she took to wearing remarkable elegant gowns on stage, with details and stitching so minute that the garments themselves were a wonder to behold.
During her career, Princess Pauline toured Belgium, Germany, France and Britain before being invited to perform in the United States in 1894. She debuted in New York City’s Proctor’s Theatre on New Year’s Eve before a stunned and thoroughly charmed audience. She performed with a grace that moved those who saw her. She was a fairy, a tiny regal princess on a huge stage dancing what she felt in her heart – and it was beautiful. Princess Pauline quickly became the darling of New York.
Tragically, while Pauline’s star burnt brilliantly, it expired far too quickly.Shortly after arriving in New York the diminutive Princess contracted pneumonia and meningitis. Pauline Musters succumbed to illness on March 1, 1895 in New York and the world lost its smallest but greatest miracle.
© 2008 – 2012, J Tithonus Pednaud. All rights reserved.
RECOMMENDED READING
American Sideshow: An Encyclopedia
Freak Show: Presenting Human Oddities for Amusement and Profit
Sideshow U.S.A.: Freaks and the American Cultural Imagination
Freaks, Geeks, and Strange Girls
Pickled Punks & Girlie Shows: A Life Spent on the Midways of America
The Lives and Loves of Daisy and Violet Hilton: A True Story of Conjoined Twins
The Circus Age: Culture and Society under the American Big Top
Freakery: Cultural Spectacles of the Extraordinary Body
James Taylor's Shocked and Amazed: On & Off the Midway
THE AUTHOR
J Tithonus Pednaud has dedicated this site to highlighting the remarkable lives of those born exceedingly different. These so-called freaks and human oddities stand as uplifting testaments to human spirit and serve as inspiring examples of human tenacity.
20 Responses to “PAULINE MUSTERS – The Little Princess”
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Oh my gosh, she’s so cute! :D
Cute? I’d be more concerned about knee-ing her in the head…
Geez, it’s even kinda creepy :O I seriously thought it was a doll in the picture.
i wonder how small her kids would be
Actually Lucia Zarate born at 7inches and 8 ounces, growing to 20 inches and tipping the scale at under 5 pounds would be the smallest person ever.
Actually Lucia Zarate is not officially recognized as the shortest adult woman for many factors. Most importantly, evidence shows that she was only six years old at the time those quoted measurements and no measurements of her adult height were ever made.
She was first brought to the United States in 1876 and, as was the custom with showmen, she was promoted as being older than her years. P.T. Barnum did the same thing when first promoting Tom Thumb, for example. To this day, many biographers believe she was born in 1864. However, evidence shows she was actually born closer to 1870.
She is, however, suspected of being one of the first recorded cases of primordial dwarfism.
i am seriously amazed by what is posted on this site. Teratology and the study of birthdefect and abnormalities truly intrigues me.
I was born bigger than her.
She is so little and cute!
I would love to go back in time to watch one of her shows. :)
She’s so cute and tiny!
owww…what a little doll :X
wow thixx is so amazing i guexx……….
i guexx im not so short after all.loL
HoW CuTe…………..
polly pocket o-m-g!
Hi,
i’d like to say that in the village where i live what’s called Ossendrecht, there is a museum dedicated tot Princess Pauline. Because she was born in my village.
I’ve seen the clothes and shoes of her. It’s simply unbelievable to see how small she was. She made her family very rich in those days and there is a mansion build for her. but she only lived there for 2 years before she left to New York City.
I heard of Toy Poodles, but this is rediculus!
What a magnificant little woman. How dearly I would have loved to attend one of her shows. I bet it was purely magickal to watch her dance around on stage. Her confidence must have been extrodinary in and of itself. An inspiring woman indeed.
WOW!
amazing how small she is wonder if she had children how small would they be cool idea
She did not have children, she died quite young. Also, her size would have made childbirth very difficult and dangerous.