Postcard Story : The Burmese dwarf "Smaun Sing Hpoo"

Smaun Sing Hpoo is noted as "the smallest athlete in the world" by the Dakota Farmers' Leader and "the smallest most perfectly formed man in the world". Smaun Sing Hpoo is 34 inches tall, 20 pounds weighted and an expert gymnast. His chest measures 22.5 inches and his hip measures also 22.5 inches. He was born on 6 Sep 1883 in Mergui, British Burma. He has one sister who is also dwarf and three brothers who are at normal sizes [5].

Smaun Sing Hpoo

Smaun (left) and Fatma (right) standing next to a champagne bottle. Artwork from the 19th volume (first period of 1897) of the French popular science weekly 'La Science Illustree'.

The arrival of he and his sister (Fatma Sing Hpoo) to Europe and their trips were comprehensively traced in the work done by Louis Takacs [6].  During 1900-1902, they are in US as non-immigrant aliens.  They then toured Europe before arriving in New York in 1905.  According to the manifest of S.S. St. Louis ship on which Smaun boarded, destined to US, he is unmarried in 1905. 

They performed at Hammerstein's Victoria Theater on 42nd Street.  Fatma Sing Hpoo is also a dwarf, weighted 15 pounds and is 28 inches height.  She is two years older than Smaun.  The Daily News - Democrat newspaper published about the Sing Hpoo in [4].  This is one year before the Fatma's death and her weight and height are noticeably lower.

Newspaper Cutout

Fatma and Smaun performed at many shows.  There are some records on their performances at Birmingham Hippodrome history website.

• Fatma and Smaun Sing Hpoo – The Indian Pygmies- the smallest coloured midgets living from 24 Dec to 29 Dec 1900 at Birmingham Hippodrome
• Fatma and Smaun Sing Hpoo - 'The Burmese Midgets' from 29 Dec 1902 to 3 Jan 1903 [Fatma passed away on 29 Dec] at Old Opera House Building
• Smaun Sing Hpoo – ‘the famous Burmese Midget – age 22 years; height 34 ins; weight 18lbs’ from 27 Feb to 4 Mar 1905 at Birmingham Hippodrome.  Smaun Sing Hpoo does a clever act conducting a band and finishing with an acrobatic turn.
• Smaun Sing Hpoo - 'The Burmese Balancing Marvel' in Apr 1910 at Birgmingham Hippodrome
• Smaun Sing Hpoo – ‘Ring Performer’ from 21 Nov to 26 Nov 1910 at Birmingham Hippodrome

Newspaper advertisement of programme which includes Sing Hpoos performance

The Royaume de Lilliput, Paris, France." New York Times (1857-1922) 10 April 1910, p.55 . Source [6]

Fatma died at the age of 22, at the Crosby House on 29 Dec 1902 and they were there for the exhibition.  According to [3], the information about her final time can be found in Dec 30 issue of San Francisco newspaper.

Sing Hpoo can speak English well, German fluently and French slightly, while Burmese is his native.He is noted as a big eater with respect to his body size.  He can eat just as much as any ordinary man.  He likes to eat three to four eggs during breakfast.  He can swallow a couple of dozen oysters at a sitting.  He eats a large quantity of meat but is not found of potatoes or other vegetables.

Although Sing Hpoo is a Burmese, he spent most of his time in Western countries.  I do not observe any of postcard with his picture, published by Burmese postcard publishers of that time.

Newspaper cutout of [5]

There is no records found on the death of Smaun Sing Hpoo, but found one record he is still acting the performance at his age of 31.  He may quite live longer than that.

References
[1] "Is the Tiniest Gymnast", Dakota Farmers' Leader, 7 Jul 1905, Page 3.
[2] Thant Myint Oo, The Burmese dwarft "Smaun Sing Hpoo", The lost footsteps of Burma, retrieved from https://lostfootsteps.org/en/history/the-burmese-dwarf-smaun-sing-hpoo on 4 Mar 2020.
[3] Paul, "The Mysterious Little Stone", Rediscovering Southeast Taxes, retrieved from https://www.rediscoveringsetx.com/2014/02/26/the-mysterious-little-stone/ on 4 Mar 2020.
[4] "The Atoms of Humanity", The Daily News = Democrat, Huntington, Indiana, 21 Jan 1902, Page 3.
[5] "Smaun Sing Hpoo, Tiny Burmese, Smallest Man in the World", Albuquerque Evening Citizen, New Mexico, Vol 19 No 292, 20 Nov 1905, Page 2.
[6] Louis Takacs, "Two Extremes", LET ME GET THERE, Retrieved from https://scalar.usc.edu/works/let-me-get-there/two-extremes on 4 Mar 2020.