Michael Lehr Antiques
Live Auction

June 2026 Vernacular Photo History Auction

Wed, Jun 24, 2026 11:00AM EDT
Lot 503

Real Photo Postcard, Hans and Gretel Tango Midgets, Germany

Estimate: $25 - $50

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $5
$100 $10
$200 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $250
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$20,000 $2,000
$50,000 $5,000
Hans and Gretel, billed as the Tango Midgets from Germany, are portrayed in this real photo postcard produced by the Commercial Photographic Company of Davenport, Iowa. The two performers appear in the foreground alongside three full-statured companions in a studio setting with a draped backdrop, placing this image in the early twentieth century era of sideshow and vaudeville promotional photography. The inscribed caption across the lower image face reads "Hans and Gretel Tango Midgets From Germany" in handwritten lettering.

The male little person wears a checked suit with cuffed trousers, while the female performer is dressed in a light-colored dress with a full skirt and decorative hair arrangement. The taller woman standing center wears a dark dress with a feathered hat and a large fabric rose at the bodice, and the man at right is dressed in a tweed suit with a patterned necktie. A woman at left wears a hat adorned with a bow and ribbon trim and a ruffled blouse.

Hans and Gretel were German-born little people who performed as a dance act across the United States during the 1910s, capitalizing on the tango craze that swept American popular entertainment during that period.

The reverse bears the imprint of the Commercial Photographic Company, Davenport, Iowa, a vertical stamp reading "KRUXO," and a handwritten notation reading "LOBCXZ 8/08/03."

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