Coretta was a famous little person who performed with the Ringling Brothers Circus from about 1904 to 1912.
In this photo, she is sitting on the arm of a chair. She has flowers in her hair and she is holding a bouquet. Along the bottom of the photo is the information for the studio where the photo was taken. It says "Obermuller & Son, 28 Cooper Square Opposite 5th St., New York". On the back of the card, someone wrote "Mlle Coretta, Age 10 years, Height 22 inches".
I found a couple of references online regarding Coretta. The first story is.......
"The Earnings of the Circus People, By Isaac F. Marcosson, The Bookman, June, 1910:
When it comes to midgets you touch some of the sideshow stars. Tom Thumb got $1,000 a week for a long time, and so did his wife. Admiral Dot, who was a famous midget, got $700. Chemalh, the Chinese dwarf, received $250 a week. The interest in these little people is as keen today as ever before. Little Coretta, the midget of the Ringling Show this year, gets $350, and her diminutive contemporary, Weeny, who is with the Barnum and Bailey Circus, gets about the same. The ordinary museum or small show midget gets only from $50 to $75 a week. Such side-show staples as the Ossified man, the Living Skeleton, the Armless Man, the Tattooed Man, the Man With the Rubber Skin, and the Snake Charmer, have declined in price during the past ten years, and their wages range from $30 to $50 a week".
And heres the second story, regarding her death:
"Princess Coretta, also known as Mlle. Coretta. She was born Ruby Bell Rickoff on Jan. 11, 1899 in Clinton, Iowa. She joined Ringling Brothers Circus as a midget when she was 5 years old. She died at age 13 on May 23, 1912. She was riding in a parade with her manager. The horse pulling the wagon bucked and she was thrown to the ground and died".
I believe this type of photo is called a Cabinet Photo. It measures 4.25 by 6.5 inches. The photo is estimated to be from around 1909. There is no frame. This is for the photo only.
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