The Fratellinis

The Fratellini brothers, Francois, Albert and Paul, were the first and undoubtedly the greatest of all classic circus clown trios. They grew up in the circus, where their father was a trapeze artist and acrobat. They worked as clowns in pairs until their eldest brother died in 1909, whereupon they formed their unique triple act. Their three characters provided clear, effective contrasts: Francois, the elegant whiteface clown; Albert, the grotesque auguste, and Paul, the "contre-auguste", half-way between them, sometimes taking one brother's side, sometimes the other's.

The makeup Albert designed for himself—high black brows, exaggerated mouth, and bulbous red nose—single-handedly redefined the role of the circus auguste, influenced scores of later clowns (most prominently, Lou Jacobs) and is responsible for the American auguste as we know it today.

The brothers toured in Europe and Russia before joining the Cirque Medrano in Paris, where they were widely acclaimed and admired. Many of their children became successful clowns, notably Paul's son Victor (1901–79) and granddaughter Annie (1932–97).