MayJune_2012

What would
the clown
world be ?
by Jackie LeClaire
What would the clown
world be today if it weren't
for you, the new American
clowns?
Do you realize what you
have done to preserve the
history of the clown here in
America?
At one time you only
thought of a clown with the
word circus. There were
hundreds of circuses traveling
SECA
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throughout the United States.
Each and every one of them
had a group of clowns,
their own clown alley, but
few clowns were paid large
salaries.
Because of the
market, theatrical makeup
manufacturers started to
produce makeup, that would
work on a clowns face. Most
clowns had to make their own
costumes because of the cost.
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Wigs were very hard to
come by, and clown noses
were nonexistent. Even if
you could find a wig maker
to make you a wig, the price
was exorbitant. Clowns had
to be very self-sufficient.
This all worked very well for
many years. Supplies began
to exceed the demand, when
the Golden age of the circus
started to decline.
Fortunately, a new kind of
clown, a non-circus clown,
began to show up on the
American scene. As their
numbers grew and grew,
suddenly there became a
larger and larger demand
for clown accessories. To
supply the demand for all
these wonderful new clowns,
clown wigs started to be
manufactured again. Not only
that, but clown wigs started
to be manufactured again in
many wonderful, different
colors. Clowns no longer had
to use putty or balls for their
clown noses. They could
purchase noses in all sizes
and different shapes ready to
be applied with just a little
glue. Businesses started that
made only clown costumes,
in all different shapes and
sizes. And guess what? They
were no longer just made for
men but for women too.
Women always, since
clowning began, had a small
part in the clown world. Even
in my childhood days I can
remember visiting Ringling
Bros. Circus and seeing
the Hartzell's, a man and
wife clown team. They had
performed together for years
and this is in the late 1930s.
The unfortunate thing about
it was that she, in order to
perform with her husband,
had to dress like a man. This
all changed. Women really
came into their own, both in
circuses and in the expanded
world of clowns today.
I love the circus and I love
my circus clown friends, but
I also love all the wonderful
clown friends that I have met
in my life after the circus.
You are very important
pegs in the history wheel
of the American clown and
the world of entertainment.
With your ingenuity you
have expanded the reach of
the clown into even greater
diversity. You came along just
at the right time.
Be proud of your
accomplishments and in
answer to “What would the
clown world be today if it
weren't for you, the new
American clowns?
Answer: ”Nowhere near
as great as it is today”.
l l l
The New Calliope