Franie and the Midgets

My grandmother Frances (grandma Fran) lived quite an interesting life. Not only has she been my style icon from day one, but her life was rich with such interesting stories. This one is about her time with the Singer Midgets in the 1930's.

For some reason related to the fact that her father was a wild animal dealer, my grandmother and her brother Bob (Frances and Robert Heger) were assigned with the task of entertaining the entertainers, when they came to town. Apparently over the course of the years, they became quite good friends. My grandmother would hang out with them off stage and in their dressing rooms. She told me tales of squeezing her waif like frame into their tiny costumes which made everyone laugh. She was particularly fond of a fellow named Gabor, who is pictured in one of the photographs with Fran.


The diminutive size of these wonderful "little people" made them a delight to all, however, I think they must have struggled quite a bit and were bound for a life of entertainment. Because of this all of their clothes were hand tailored and fit like a glove.




It always pleased me to hear the stories my grandmother would tell, especially after seeing the Wizard of Oz. She was particularly keen on me watching the film and I did, on TV, in her living room on her golden striped velvet divan. It was a wonderful discovery to come across all these pictures, once again, after she had passed. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.