Send in the Clowns

[DBF]

circa 1900
(United States Public Domain)​

There is a song that begins with these words: "Be A Clown; Be A Clown; The whole world loves a clown" and apparently they do for the evidence of "Clowns" goes back to the Fifth Dynasty of Egypt or approximately 2400 BC. However the clowns that we think of today began to develop in the 19th century and are known as "Circus Clowns".

Philip Astley (1742-1814)
(United States Public Domain) ​

The creator of the modern circus was born in England, At seventeen years of age he was enrolled in a cavalry regiment the 15th Light Dragoons. After his time in the military he jumped into show business. In 1768 he opened a riding school for he had a love of all things equestrian. When he put on demonstrations he added clowns between his equestrian performances to amuse the attendees. It was so successful that it quickly moved to other European cities.

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John Bill Ricketts (1769–1835) is the man credited with bringing the Circus to America. The English born entertainment promoter traveled to the United States in 1792 and began building a circus amphitheater in Philadelphia. He opened his circus on April 3, 1793 and he was honored when on April 22, 1793 President George Washington was among the attendees.

Ricketts trained horses and acrobats and in 1795 he hired Matthew Scully. The English born Scully had been trained as a dancer but he quickly adapted to be his first clown. He was soon joined by the first American born clown John Durang. The circus clown was here to stay.

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Joseph Grimaldi
the "father" of the modern clown
circa 1820
(United States Public Domain)​

His character was known simply as "Clown Joey" and the man behind the costume was English actor, comedienne and dancer Joseph Grimaldi (1778–1837). By 1801 he was accepted and recognized as London's leading clowns. He began the catchphrase: "Here we go again!".

His clowning around in life left him in great physical pain as he grew older forcing him to retire from the stage at forty-five years of age. He'd live to fifty-nine. He died in poverty, depressed and an alcoholic and he was heard to tell people:

"I make you laugh at night but am Grim-all-day". {3}

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George Washington Lafayette Fox
(July 3, 1825 – October 24, 1877)
(United States Public Domain)​

This Massachusetts native played his clown act at different theaters throughout the east but during the Civil War he was a Major in the 8th New York Infantry, served at the First Battle of Bull Run and mustered out in August 1861. One of his most memorable characters was his critically acclaimed performance as "Humpty Dumpty". He died after he suffered a terrible fall on stage during a performance breaking his nose and damaging an optic nerve. His injuries could never be put right again and as a result he began to experience erratic behavior until he suffered a series of strokes and died at fifty-two.

"Clowns are the pegs on which the circus is hung."
P. T. Barnum

Were you aware their is a clown hierarchy?​

The Whiteface Clown - is the top clown as well as being the oldest form of clowns. The Whiteface clown is the leader of all the other clowns that are performing. We can call him the "top banana". He wears white makeup covering up his entire face and wears the official "clown suit" (what else would you call it). It consists of ruffles and a pointed hat usually in two colors - red or black. Sometimes they are the "saddest" looking clown.

(United States Public Domain)​

Directly under the hierarchy is the Auguste Clown. This clown developed to compliment the Whiteface clown. Whereas the Whiteface clown is the leader, the clown with the authority, the Auguste Clown is the clumsy sidekick (some believe the word "clown" comes from the Swedish kluns "a hard knob; a clumsy fellow). Unlike the "clown suit" the Whiteface clown is attired in, the Auguste clown's costume is more exaggerated to the point of over-exaggeration (the big red nose and clown shoes). As the love of clowns grew in society, the Auguste clown was the clown getting a pie in his face.

There are 2 others levels in the clown hierarchy that have grown out of the clown business, however they belong in the 20th century (the character clown/the hobo clown). Most clowns in the 19th Century were the Whiteface Clowns.

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Clown Joey; Matthew Scully; John Durang; George Fox;
these were the men that laid the foundation
for all the future Bozos of the world.

Clown used in
Arm & Hammer Poster
circa 1900
(United States Public Domain)


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Sources
1. http://www.circopedia.org/Philip_Astley
2. http://www.historyofcircus.com/circus-facts/circus-clowns-history-and-facts/
4. Memoirs of Joseph Grimaldi, by Charles Dickens
5. https://clownopedia.fandom.com/wiki/Auguste
6. http://www.circusesandsideshows.com/circuses/rickettscircus.html
Wikipedia - Photos

 

[JOHN42768]

A lot of nice history. In my lifetime give me Red Skelton any day of the week. His facial expressions transformed the painted face into iconic pictures.

 

[donna]

Interesting information. If you like reading about circus, recommend, "Clowns & Cannons, The American Circus During the Civil War" by William Slout. I did thread on this book.

 

[Lubliner]

So that is where our children's' rhyme of 'Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the King's horses and all the King's men couldn't put Humpty Dumpty back together again.' That was the version I knew as a child.
I have once been to Ringling Brothers' and Barnum and Baily Circus and was most impressed with the girls riding the elephants, hehe. But I went to a Rodeo in Texas in the 1960's and the clowns took the whole show there for me. Did I ever desire to be one? Nope, not after watching that.
Lubliner.

 

[DBF]

So that is where our children's' rhyme of 'Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall.

Actually I researched it out - but that nursery rhyme goes back a ways. In 1698 there was a drink of boiled ale and brandy named "Humpty-dumpty" (Perhpas one took a bad fall after indulging in a few of them.) The nursery rhyme first appeared in print in 1803 in a manuscript "Mother Goose's Melody." George Fox portrayed "Humpty-dumpty" (apparently to critical acclaim) in the musical of the same name that was popular and debuted on the theater in 1868. Ironically he did suffer a bad fall on the stage, did serious damage to his head and died shortly after, but as the clown he was I assume you could say "he died doing what he loved to do".

 

[Lubliner]

Actually I researched it out - but that nursery rhyme goes back a ways. In 1698 there was a drink of boiled ale and brandy named "Humpty-dumpty" (Perhpas one took a bad fall after indulging in a few of them.) The nursery rhyme first appeared in print in 1803 in a manuscript "Mother Goose's Melody." George Fox portrayed "Humpty-dumpty" (apparently to critical acclaim) in the musical of the same name that was popular and debuted on the theater in 1868. Ironically he did suffer a bad fall on the stage, did serious damage to his head and died shortly after, but as the clown he was I assume you could say "he died doing what he loved to do".

Good information. I used to love that picture book as a very little kid with Humpty as a big egg sitting with suspendered britches on the wall, laughing jovially to one and all. I don't remember any yoke and egg white after the fall. Just the broken shells and the King's Horsemen surveying it all. Haha! A favorite.
Lubliner.