providing much more to world culture than just 'fun with a red nose'. Move through the

alphabet, A to Z, to read more about clowns through time.

classic white face clown and the tramp caricature. The makeup and costuming

are over-the-top, exemplifying the status of the clown.

clown character. No movie or recording had starred an African-American before

Bert Williams. He was highly acclaimed for his ability to humanize the tramp

clown caricature created by the white entertainment industry.

clown. They were white-face clowns adorned with three-point head pieces and

matching pointed collars. They were the entertainers of the King's court and

enjoyed great freedom - even to the point of influencing court decisions.

The most famous female jester, Mathurine, presided at the French Court during

the reign of three Kings.

history. These troupes included women who portrayed the female clown roles,

as musicians, dancers and acrobats, from the 7th century BC through another 1000

years, influencing Greek and Roman classical theatre.

Dynasty. Although a physical curiosity, he was not an 'idiot'. Part of the fool's

value as an entertainer might be derived from a grotesque appearance.

level of an art - at least according to the French.

They were entrenched in the circus by the age of five and by adulthood, were more

than accepted by French intellectuals. They were known as fantastic comics, acrobats

and musicians, and were often copied by other Auguste clowns.

mid-nineteenth century. the clowns were tumblers, jugglers, comic actors and master

equestrians. This was the first showing of the horse in the circus.

They could be comic or sad, masculine or feminine, sweet or vulgar. The Harlequin

is truly the finesse description of the Historical clown.

Twisting and sculpturing balloons began in the 1920's but didn't become popular

'till skinny balloons were produced after WW2.

Actually, the art of balloon animals may be a misnomer since much more than animals

are created. Hats, flowers, swords, and balloon sculptures for special occasions and

holidays.

severe punishment. they saved themselves, again and again, with parody and insolence.

Unfortunately, some court jesters got too close - went too far - and were banished from

their courts and their countries.

silent films of the 1920's, his formula for comedy is based on wild chase scenes and

trick scenery. Buster Keaton's deadpan expression will continue to be as familiar to us

as any clown face.

the world of vaudeville. in his films, comic opposition was the key - one, the schemer,

the other, the 'stooge'. They, he, wasn't the first - in the mime plays of ancient Rome,

the same division occurred.

bench in order to gather and address a crowd - with a temporary platform stage.

The mountebank was regarded by most as a charlatan but also as a clown. He was a fraud

and a clown - complete with pranks and jests.

It is actually two schools - a four-year high school and a four-year college. the curriculum

requires the student to become proficient in all the basic areas of circus technique before

specializing in any one area or developing a performable act.

twice as much as Abraham Lincoln was receiving as President of the United States. This was

all the more remarkable, seeing as the civil war was tearing the country apart.

The theatre and the circus were considered great luxuries during war-time, but they served as

a diversion and made the circus the most popular form of American entertainment.

meant 'to imitate' and referred to the performers' caricatures. Ancient mimes were in fact,

talkative.

The actors used realistic props and performed on temporary stages. The style was exaggerated

but their acting was considered to be more realistic than that of the Greek tragedies - they

cast men or boys in the female roles but the mime troupes used women to portray women.

William Wallet. Throughout his life, he was titled the 'Queen's Jester".

When the character of a clown was that of a 'drunk', the Auguste reddened his nose - a practice

led to the large red noses seen on the Augustes of today.

which were used at appropriate times.

It was common for these singing clowns to get the audience to join in the with the chorus.

one of the most famous singing clowns was William Burke. He became a headliner with Barnum

T. Twisters - a.k.a. balloon sculptors have been honing their craft since the 1930's,

but it wasn't until the end of WW11, with the availability of the 'skinny' balloon,

were greatly improved.  They were much lighter and brighter in colour and enabled the sculptor to

make many twists in one balloon. Balloon sculptors are busy throughout the world,

twisting for party decorations magic shows and delighting children with their hats and toys.

beats a Christian heart. Christian clown performers are dedicated to spreading the gospel and

reaching people of all ages through their performance and presentation of scripture.

frequently, albeit, inappropriately to this day. His first name was Auguste and during

performances, would be referred to as "Der Dumme Auguste"

Originally, 'dumme' can be traced back to the mid - 16th century to refer to a peasant.

Eventually, 'dumme' was dropped and 'Auguste' remained.

the large amount of white on both faces likens the one to the other.

The whiteface circus clown covered his face entirely with white and then added a touch of

colour.

The Auguste became an integral part of circus clowning as the whiteface clown developed need

for a partner. As the whiteface became a clever trickster, the Auguste was available to be

tricked.

injury and mental illness and relieve stress. It wasn't until Dr. Norman Cousins wrote

about the health benefits of humour, that scientists began to take the power of humour

seriously and started to study it in a controlled environment.

In Medieval times, as services were in Latin, clowns were used to assist parishioners

in the understanding of the service. In a 'divine interruption', clowns used humour to

explain what was going on in the service or to explain a point of theology. Yes, clowns in

church!!

a popular form of Italian Street theatre. Originally, 'zanni' was a 16th century generic name