1880
The Burmese dwarf: Smaun Sing Hpoo
room Germany
The Burmese dwarf, Smaun Sing Hpoo, was described during his time as "the smallest most perfectly formed man in the world" and a "Lilliputian" after the kingdom of tiny people in Jonathan Swfit's Gulliver's Travels. Standing at 2 feet 10 inches and weighing 18 pounds, he was also an expert gymnast.
Smaun Sing Hpoo and his sister (also a dwarf) were born in British Burma around 1880 and first toured Europe before arriving in New York in 1905. They performed at Hammerstein's Victoria Theater on 42nd Street (owned by the father of Oscar Hammerstein Jr, the famous Broadway producer), to mixed reviews. His sister died soon after in America and was buried at the Magnolia Cemetary in Beaumont, Texas.
While Smaun Sing Hpoo is featured on numerous western postcoards, such as this one from his time in Germany, the rest of his story remains unknown.