Item #6874 Sketch of the Life, Personal Appearance, Character and Manners of Col. R. A. Steere and Wife Including the History of Their Travels, Courtship and Marriage. Reuben A. Steere.
Sketch of the Life, Personal Appearance, Character and Manners of Col. R. A. Steere and Wife Including the History of Their Travels, Courtship and Marriage.
Sketch of the Life, Personal Appearance, Character and Manners of Col. R. A. Steere and Wife Including the History of Their Travels, Courtship and Marriage.

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Sketch of the Life, Personal Appearance, Character and Manners of Col. R. A. Steere and Wife Including the History of Their Travels, Courtship and Marriage.

Danielson, CT: Printed by F C Scofield for the author, 1883. 16mo (6.5” x 4.5”), paper wraps. 20 pp. 3 purple stamps on the free endpaper, “Frank E. Crawford, Buttonwoods, R.I.”.

A scarce pamphlet account of side show little people ‘Colonel’ R. A. Steere and his wife Rebecca, likely for distribution at their ‘performances’

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Reuben A. Steere (1838–1915) and his wife Rebecca "Annie" Myers billed themselves as “the smallest married couple in the world.” Born on a farm in Gloucester, RI, Steere was able to do his share of farm work “with implements suited to my size.” He traveled by wagon fifteen miles into Providence to sell produce, returning home the same day, and became the successful manager of a 50-acre farm. After turning down frequent “inducements made to me to go on exhibition” (refusing Barnum, among others), finally, at age 31, standing 44 inches tall and weighing in at 43 pounds, Steere decided to see the world. After a few years of both pleasant and unhappy touring, Steere signed on with the Lilliputian Opera Company—touring and performing three months of the year at Coney Island. It was with this troupe that Steere met his future wife (a member of the Company), Rebecca Myers, who stood 41 inches and weighed 39 pounds—alleged to be the second smallest woman in the U.S. They toured together following their marriage in 1880. At the time of this publication, the couple was planning “to see the whole of our beloved country first”—perhaps to be followed by a European tour. They are known to have both traveled with circuses until 1906, when they retired from the circus to Chepachet, Rhode Island.

One copy located in Worldcat, at the Cleveland Health Sciences Library; another copy listed without location.

CONDITION: Front cover detached, several losses to wrappers, 1” x 3” stain at top of front wrapper, not continued to the text.

Item #6874

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