In Sam’s Gallery here at the Sam Waller Museum is a set of drawers. In one of these drawers a collection of dressed fleas can be found. There are five pairs of fleas dressed in various garments; three of the sets are in bridal attire. “How on earth did anyone manage to make clothing so small as to fit on fleas?” you may ask. Or perhaps you just wonder why on earth anyone would bother dressing up fleas. Those are both excellent questions.
Although it is unclear where the practice of dressing fleas, also known as “pulgas vestidas,” originated, we do know that selling dressed fleas was a popular part of the tourist trade in Mexico during the 1920s. [1] Some sources suggest that the practice of dressing fleas and creating scenes with them originated in Mexican convents [2] in the 1700s, while others suggest that the dates they were made were between 1880 and 1926. [3] The patience required to become skilled in this craft, and the steadiness of hand alone is remarkable. Some have speculated that the location where they were created must have burned down in 1926 because that is the year new dressed fleas stopped being made.[4]
It is not surprising that our founder, Sam Waller, was interested in this curiosity and would have been thrilled to add them to his collection. Our exhibit of dressed fleas came from Mexico and was added to the collection in 1974. To this day local school groups and visiting tourists alike find them fascinating to see. We often hear questions about how anyone could possibly make clothes that tiny. We would love to answer that question; however, flea dressing is considered a lost art and little about the process or the materials used is known. If you discover any information about the history or the process we would love to hear from you!
It is well worth the stop into the museum to enjoy the novelty of these elaborately dressed fleas if you have not done so yet!