Rossow's Midgets

Cabinet card photograph of "the smallest and greatest fighters in the world" published by Hall, Broadway and 34th St, New York, ca. 1895-1900. Reverse blank. Franz and Carl Actermeier were German-born vaudeville performers known as the headline attraction Rossow's Midgets. Newspaper archives show they began performing around 1895, billed as "Midget Comedians" at B. F. Keith's Boston theater in June. They were promoted to Keith's NY Theater by July. They were managed by Herman Rossow and toured as "Rossow's Midgets" until around 1909, when they successfully sued for $10,000 in back pay and the right to continue using Rossow's name after firing him.