Catharina Helena Stoberin, Nuremberg Midget
Date1775
CultureUnited Kingdom
MediumInk on paper
ClassificationPrints
Credit LineTibbals Circus Collection
Object numberht8000301
Standing a mere 28 inches at the age of 17, Catharina Helena Stöber was exhibited across Germany and beyond. Managed by her father Johann, Catharina was displayed at regional fairs and as a special attraction in taverns, which frequently hosted displays of living curiosities in the era. Her exhibitions, such as a 1782 visit to St. Petersburg, Russia, were often advertised along with notice that her image was included in J.C. Lavater’s Physiognomische Fragmente, a 1778 study, now debunked, that intended to link physical appearance with character traits.
Presentation was clearly a significant aspect of Catharina’s exhibitions. Recognized for her proportions, which were the same as a woman of average height, she is depicted in an elegant dress trimmed with lace and ribbons. In an alternate version of this image, a decorative bonnet literally tops of the presentation of Catarina as a woman of status.
On View
Not on viewCollections
Print: 9 x 6.5 in (23 x 16 cm)
