Herman and Augusta Rice The Musical Midgets Carte de Visite Eisenmann C. 1880 for Sale

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Herman and Augusta Rice The Musical Midgets Carte de Visite Eisenmann C. 1880 For Sale

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Herman and Augusta Rice The Musical Midgets Carte de Visite Eisenmann C. 1880:
$39.99

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Headlinedas “The Musical Midgets,”Hermanand Augusta Riceweredeemed in one newspaper advertisement to be “the most interestinglittle people now before the public.”Anothercalled them “German Midgets” and noted that they were “The MostExtraordinary Dwarfs of the Age.”Augusta Rice appear dressed in fine Victorian fashion and standnext to a table with flowers and their mother(?) in behind all of which emphasize their short stature. Augusta’shairstyle is particularly striking; a flat bow adorns the top of herhead, and small curls are arranged across her forehead in such a waythat it almost seems as though they could be part of a hairpiece. Thebow and flattened style of her bangs were fashionable in the late1870s.Shewears a carefully fitted gown with a train and no shortage offlounces, ruffles, and lace trim. With a bracelet setting off her ensemble, Augusta appears to bedressed very well indeed. Herman looks equally sharp in a formalfitted dinner jacket with a pocket watch and freshly shined shoes. Mathilda Rice is equally well dressed and, I assume, their mother.

Thephotograph was taken byCharlesEisenmann,a photographer in the rough-and-tumble Bowery district of New YorkCity who frequently photographed performers such as these.He occupied229 Bowery, from about 1879 until 1883.