Known as Princess Pauline, the shortest woman ever grew to just 61 cm (24 in) tall.
Long before social media was around to turn people into stars overnight, Pauline Musters (Netherlands) became known all around the world.
She was born in the small village of Ossendrecht, North Brabant, on 26 February 1876 (although there is some dispute over her year of birth, and some say it was 1878).
She was the fifth of nine children born to Anna Maria Couwenbergh and carpenter Michiel Musters, who would later become her manager.
Pauline, also sometimes called Princess Paulina, measured just 30 cm (11.8 in) when she was born and her parents did not expect her to survive.
Little did they know that Pauline would not only survive, but thrive, and she’d change their lives with her fame.
Pauline’s family was not very well off.
Before she was born, her father had taken out a loan to build their house, which then unfortunately burned down after being struck by lightning.
Without the money to rebuild, Pauline was actually born in a barn, but her humble beginnings were far from the glitzy showbiz life she would go on to lead.
Her parents began touring her around fairs in Belgium and the Netherlands before her first birthday, with people paying good money to get a glimpse of the tiny girl.
Pauline made her family rich – so rich that they built themselves a huge villa.
The money sent her sisters to expensive boarding schools and enabled her brothers to study too.
By age nine, Pauline had grown to just 54.61 cm (21.5 in) tall, and she weighed 4 lb 5 oz (1.95 kg).
After her father’s death in 1889, her brother-in-law Joseph Verschueren – husband of her sister Cornelia, or “Kee” as she was nicknamed – took over the management of her career.
Her small stature made her a very big star around the world, with him taking her on tour around theatres in Europe.
Pauline attracted crowds in the likes of London, Edinburgh, Hamburg, Berlin, and Paris.
Beloved by royalty as well as the average person, the German Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II was so taken with her that he gifted her a tiny carriage – more likely to have been pulled by dogs than horses.
Produced by the Jacobi factory in Hannover, it was just 90 cm high.
It’s now unfortunately lost, with its last known whereabouts being an advertisement of it for sale in a Dutch magazine in 1909.
Pauline was also received by Queen Emma of the Netherlands during her career.
Her biggest break into showbiz came in December 1894 when she travelled to New York to perform at Proctor’s Theatre on Broadway, where she earned a huge $1,000 a week.
That’s equivalent to around $36,000 today.
Pauline had been warned against making the journey by doctors, who were worried she was too fragile.
And tragically, soon after her arrival, she became ill with pneumonia and meningitis.
She died in early 1895, aged 19.
Over 120 years later, Pauline is still remembered around the world, but particularly in her hometown, where a museum dedicated to her is due to open soon.
The Museum Den Aanwas will officially open its doors on 7 April, with visitors welcome until the end of October. Visit the website for more information and opening hours.
Those behind the museum are hoping to find out what happened to her carriage, as well as the death mask she was seen with in a newspaper drawing published a year after her death.
They’re also very keen to speak to descendants of Pauline, having already tracked some down.
Anyone who can help or has any information is asked to reach out through the museum’s website.
Jyoti Amge (India), the shortest woman living, is 62.8 cm (24.7 in) tall. Read more about the history of the world's shortest people here.
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