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The Bregants
A promo card for
Good Things Come Jean’s European career,
highlighting his talents
as a “character comic
extraordinaire.”
In Small Packages
By Donald-Brian Johnson
“ iny houses.” You’ve heard of them, When she decided to enter the show business, her
haven’t you? At just 400 square feet (or beauty and talents soon won for her a place in the
Tless), tiny houses are the standard-bearers front rank, and her popularity has increased with
for those who advocate living simply. And, at each season.”
400 square feet max, you can’t get much simpler. Meanwhile, Austrian-born Jean had been
Or tinier. making a name for himself across Europe as a
Ah, that’s modern life for you. singing “character” comedian, before coming to
But wait a minute … what about the original the United States in 1904. Arriving in New
tiny house? If you’re looking for that, you’d York, he was quickly signed for the Keith &
have to travel back over 100 years, to Council Proctor vaudeville show at Coney Island.
Bluffs, Iowa. That’s where the very first tiny Coney Island was one of New York’s biggest
house was built, to meet the very specific needs entertainment “draws” in the early 1900s – and
of Inez and Jean Bregant. one of Coney Island’s must-sees was Dream-
land’s “Midget City.” Here, 300 vaudevillian lit-
Born Performers tle people posed as typical residents, going about
The Bregants were little people (“midgets,” their daily doings in scaled-down surroundings.
in the jargon of the time). Born into families of Officially called “Liliputia,” as a nod to the char-
average height, Inez Lewis and Jean Bregant acters in Gulliver’s Travels, the city was built to
embarked on one of the only paths open to resemble a half-scale Nuremberg, Germany. The
those of that era who were just a bit out of the tiny town came complete with all the trimmings,
ordinary: a career in vaudeville. including its own opera house. That’s where
An accomplished singer and dancer since “Mrs. Gen. Tom Thumb and All The Lilputian
childhood, Inez was “discovered” at the age of Stars” were the headliners. Among those joining
14, and was soon winning raves from critics. An Jean and Inez Bregant in their vaudeville days. Mrs. Thumb on the bill: Miss Jennie Quigley
early review in a publication for vaudeville (“Famous Little Scottish Queen”); Oleo Oleson
bookers burbled over with enthusiasm: (“The Famous Swedish Midget”); Wm. Platt
“In spite of the fact that she is (“The American Beau Brummel)
only forty-one and one-half inches – and Inez Lewis (“The
in height, and weighs only forty Miniature Lillian Russell”).
pounds, Inez carries herself like a
little queen. Nature has Love at First Act
endowed her with Midget City is where Inez
many personal and Jean met. That meeting,
charms. She is later attributed in promo materi-
not only pretty of als to the “magnet of human des-
face but possesses a tiny,” led to their wedding on
figure which, for Christmas Day, 1905. Here’s
proportions, would how a news report of the time
cause many of her described the event, focusing, as
big sisters to envy was then the custom, on the
her. Besides these nat- “unusual”:
ural endowments,
this little lady is
bright, intelligent, A sight not to be missed:
vivacious and witty, patrons gather to visit
and possesses con- Dreamland’s “Midget City.”
versational powers Jean and Inez met while
far above those of performing at the attraction.
the average person.
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