Throughout history, most cultures have had some form of a clown. The comic spirit of clowning exists in just about every known culture. It is as old as civilization. The ancient craft speaks to that which is human in all of us.
“A divine spirit – to rejoice and delight the heart,” according to a nine-year old Egyptian Pharaoh who heralded the first recorded appearance of a clown around the year 2270 B.C.
Court jesters have performed in China since 1818 B.C. Most Native American tribes had some sort of clown character. These clowns played an important role in the social and religious life of the tribe, and in some cases were believed to be able to cure certain diseases.
When Cortez conquered the Aztec Nation in 1520 A.D., he discovered Montezuma’s court included jesters similar to those in Europe. Aztec fools, dwarf clowns, and hunchbacked buffoons were among the treasures Cortez took back to Pope Clement VII.
The western tradition of clowning can be traced to ancient Greece where strolling clowns were seen in Sparta as early the seventh century B.C.
Throughout the Middle Ages and early Renaissance, jesters or fools perpetuated the art of clowning in the palaces of kings and great nobles. Jesters played an important role in social culture of Medieval Europe by serving as “safety valves” or the “social conscience” of the commoners. The jesters could answer back to all in authority. By making fun of anyone and satirizing social customs and norms, jesters were often catalysts for social change.
The English equivalent of the word “clown” used today did not appear until the sixteenth century. “Clown” originally meant “clod” and was often used to denote a country bumpkin. These clumsy buffoons were considered very funny, and comedic actors soon imitated their ways. These actors were called “clowns”.
From the 1500’s to 1700’s, the spirit of improvisation reached new heights. Street theatre in Italy was called, “commedia del’arte” or the comedy of professional actors. It was then that the patchwork costumes became popular and the first known use of whiteface makeup. In English pantomime, a style of theatre based on the commedia del’arte, John Rich completed the evolution of Harlequin, a comic dramatic character, elevating it to a starring position. The “stupid” Harlequin characters wore whiteface.
During the eighteenth century, the form of improvisation theatre came under attack by authorities that claimed that more established theatre had a monopoly on drama. Hence, those doing improvisation on the streets and fairs resorted to pantomime, since English and French restrictions did not include silent acting.
In 1768, on the outskirts of London, a former sergeant in the British Cavalry presented a show that combined the comedic and acrobatic skills of the clown with the precision of military horsemanship. The term “circus” refers to the circular riding ring used by the sergeant. Immediately popular, what we now call the “circus” was born although not by that name. The modern circus received its name years later when in 1782 the Royal Circus was formed.
The American circus clown provided comic relief between acts and filled in when staging was being changed. The clown’s most important function was to relieve tension between the serious and often times, dangerous acts of lion tamers, equestrians and trapeze artists. These clowns were talking and singing comedians, who most often did pantomime in the center ring and whose primary function was to punctuate the end or beginning of other performer’s acts.
Dan Rice, whom some have called “the original American whiteface clown,” made his first circus appearance in 1840. His clown character had a distinguished goatee, top hat, blue leotard, and red and white tights, and was called, “Yankee Dan.” This clown is considered to have been the model for “Uncle Sam.”
When Yankee Dan’s circus played in McGregor, Iowa, in 1870, five brothers fascinated by the performance decided to start their own circus. The amateur presentations of the Ringling bothers would eventually evolve into the famous Ringling Bros. Circus.
In 1869, an American acrobat named Tom Belling who was performing with a circus created a new type of clown in Berlin, Germany. Confined to his dressing room for missing his tricks, he entertained his friends by putting on oversized clothes to perform his impression of the show’s manager. The manager suddenly entered the room. Belling took off running, ending up in the circus arena where he fell over a ring curb. In his embarrassment and haste to escape, he fell over the ring curb again. The audience yelled, “auguste!” which was slang for “silly” or “stupid”. Most historians doubt that this is the true origin of the Auguste clown, but Belling is credited for the name “Auguste” clown.
One more believable theory is that Belling copied the Auguste character from red haired clowns found in Russia. His version of the character was later given the name Auguste by the laughing and entertained German crowds. Early Auguste clowns had naturalistic appearance along with the red hair. The exaggerated makeup associated with the Auguste clown of today was introduced by Albert Fratellini, of the Fratellini Brothers.
By the end of the nineteenth century smaller tent circuses gave way to larger “big tops” and the circus enjoyed a golden age. As the three ring format evolved, clowns were presented with their greatest challenge yet. Bright costumes, oversized props, flamboyant makeup became essential ingredients to being a clown.
By 1907 when the Ringling brothers had purchased another popular circus, Barnum & Bailey, the profession of clowning had reached one of its highest peaks. But only a few decades later the ancient art of clowning was dying. By the late 1960’s, there were estimated to be fewer than 200 professional circus clowns in the entire United States. In 1967, there were only 14 circus clowns in Ringling Brothers clown alley. To preserve the craft, Irvin Feld, who had purchased Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus, founded their own clown college. This rejuvenated the clown craft.
Seattle has had its own evolution of the art of clowning and public comedic display. In the early 1950’s, a group of young Seattle men started dressing up as clowns and running around town in an effort to entertain the public. Disappointed in the response they received the men started to act and dress in a scarier manner in order to provoke a response. To their delight they started to get more attention. Thus, the clown garb went away and the buccaneer themed dress survived.
By 1953, one of the men in the initial clown group, and a Seattle University graduate, wanted to get back to the true spirit of clowning. So, he started up another clown group. The new clown group was a hit and captured Seattle’s love for a clown. Later that decade Seattle’s most famous clown, JP Patches, went on the air in 1958. Today both of the “clown” groups thrive as ambassadors of Seattle’s biggest festival – Seafair. The groups are known as the Seattle Seafair Pirates and the Seattle Seafair Clowns.
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