Chickering, Elmer

Alize Espiridiona Cenda del Castillo was a 26 inch-tall dwarf, who was born in 1869 either in Cuba or Mexico, and died in 1928, 1939 or 1945 (sources disagree). She was a vaudeville artist who traveled in side or freak shows across the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She was also known as "Chiquita", "The living doll", "The Cuban atom," "Mrs. Anthony C. Woeckner," and "Alice Zenda." She first came to the United States with Frank Charles Bostock (1866-1912), the animal trainer and menagerie proprietor. Cenda sang, danced, and acted, and was known for riding a bicycle. She spoke and sang in Italian, Spanish and English. Chiquita is a 2008 novel by Antonio Orlando Rodriguez based on the life of Cenda.