BUZZY POTTS: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey (1951)

CLOWN ALLEY: Polack Bros Circus (1954)

Rudy Dockey and Lou Jacobs

CLOWN ALLEY: Polack Bros Circus (1954)

A Shrine date hospital visit with Professor Charlie Cheer, Harry Dann, Rudy Dockey and Lou Jacobs

STANLEY AND LESTER JANUS: The Toy Boys (1936)

TOTO: Armando Novello

OTTO GRIEBLING: Cole Bros. Circus (August 25th 1937)

Otto Griebling with guest clown, circus fan and Seattle area publisher of the Wenatchee Daily World Rufus Woods who travelled with the show for a few weeks. The photo is available from Getty Images by clicking HERE.

INTERNATIONAL CLOWN HALL OF FAME: APRIL'S "FOOLISH FUNDRAISER From Director Greg DeSanto

"Let us be thankful for the fools. But for them the rest of us could not succeed"- Mark Twain

Six years ago today a great friend of the ICHOF, and Board member, Sandy Weber designed this wonderful logo as we moved forward to re-opening this little place where clowns are celebrated, stories are remembered and lives dedicated to laughter are shared with old and new generations. 

We we opened our doors to the public on May 21, 2010 in our new home of Baraboo, Wisconsin. since that date we have had thousands of guests visit us in person and view the most amazing collection of clown artifacts in the world. We hope they leave with a smile & respect for this art form and share our mission with their family and friends. Our presence on social media has allowed us to bring images and information to potentially millions of people world wide who appreciate clowning as the craft that it is, respect those individuals who's careers have elevated laughter to the most needed medicine for what ails us as a human race, and inspires those who are looking to fufill the calling in their life called clowning.

How perfect the timing that a museum that honors the humor in our lives began on this day known to our society as April Fools Day.

With that, the Board of Directors of the International Clown Hall of Fame and Research Center is proud to announce a "FOOLISH FUNDRAISER" to begin today April 1, 2016 and conclude on the Anniversary day of our opening in Baraboo, Wi, May 21, 2016.

Our goal is for us to raise $10,000 in the next 51 days.

Our 2016 plans include adding substantially to our artifact collections, digitizing and making avaiable online our vast photo archives, the transfer to digital dvd of thousands of feet of rare movie films, new display fabrications and continuation of our Oral Histories project. These goals can only be met with your help.

We will be including incentives to those who can help us reach this attainable dream. Please visit our website at www.theclownmuseum.com where a link to PayPal is located. For today, April 1,2016, in honor of this day celebrating fools, anyone donating $100.00 to $200.00 will recieve a limited edition Jim Howle poster honoring the very first 5 Inductees into the International Clown Hall of Fame.

Titled, "The Pit Stop", it features Lou Jacobs, Otto Griebling, Red Skelton, Emmett Kelly, Felix Adler and Mark Anthony. These are limited edition high quality poster prints.

Every day between today and May 21,2016, the ICHOF will offer an incentive and grateful thank you to those who can donate and help preserve our shared clown heritage. Check back here and on our webpage daily for a suprise and a sharing of clowns worldwide!

Please tell you friends, clown fans and people in your life that could use some laughter!

SLIVERS OAKLEY: Slivers' Clown Shoes

Photos courtesy of Gene Wolande

Photos of Slivers Oakley's clown shoes, quite possibly the first oversized clown shoes worn in an American circus, in the collection of the Ringling Museum of the Circus in Sarasota, FL

REX "COUNT DE BOXCAR" YOUNG

CLOWN CARS: Billboard Magazine (November 13, 1948)

According to this article Hip Raymond, Kinko Sunberry and Bobo Barnett each took possession of their miniature clown cars within days of each other, all at the end of the 1948 circus season and all built for them by a Mr. Leo L. McKenzie of Wichita, KS.

1948 being the end of Lou Jacobs' first full season of performing his routine.







An earlier "midget auto" built by Leo McKenzie (whose family owned the Wichita Carriage Works)...

Title/Object Name: McKenzie Midget Auto Creator: Unknown photographer Date Original: Circa 1930 Physical Details: 4 x 3 inches Description: Group of boys gathered around a miniature automobile built by Leo L. McKenzie. The clown in the driver’s seat and the flags may indicate they are about to participate in a parade. McKenzie built and sold these small cars as a sideline to his business, McKenzie Body Works. Keywords: Business and industry, children, people, transportation, Wichita. Subject: Wichita (Kan.) -- Pictorial works Type: Photographic Contact Print Collection Name:  Repository: Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum Date Digital: 2003 Identifier: wschm_T3-34.1.8

Mr. McKenzie passed away on January 30, 1977 at the age of 90 in Wichita, KS.

AL MIACO: Obituary, NY Clipper (July 27, 1923)

ALFRED FRISBIE MIACO

Alfred Frisbie Mlaco, Al Miaco, died July 21 at his home in New York City. He had spent 66 of his 78 years as a circus clown. Born in Cortland, N . Y., he ran away from home at the age of nine and joined Yankee Robinson's Circus . He started by playing Humpty Dumpty, soon learning to be a contortionist, and then a pantomlmlst. At this time he met the late Al Ringling and became the chief clown of his show, remaining with it for more than thirty years. Every sort of Interesting adventure was his during this long period. He knew John Wilkes Booth, assassin of Lincoln, intimately, and was with him the night before he shot the great President. He met his wife, Laura, 56 years ago while travelling on the Mississippi. She acted as his Columbine for some time and nursed him since the time three years ago that partial paralysis caused his involuntary retirement. He was recognized as the dean of all Shakespearian clowns and won innumerable tributes from his associates, one of whom said, "This man has sense enough to play the fool."

A grandson, Al Renton, is perpetuating the name by appearing as a clown . The funeral services were held Monday and were attended by hundreds of circus people.

When Miaco lived in Cortland, it was a town of about 2,500 population. His homecoming and departure each year to or from the circus were the biggest events of the village.

CLOWN ALLEY: "The B.B. Club", Ringling Bros. Circus (circa 1900)

I have seen newspaper accounts describe this as the "Button Boosters Club" but the back of the photo identifies it as the "Button Busters Club" (likely as in 'you'll bust yer buttons') and the Hagenbeck Wallace clowns had one as well.

 "B.B. Club" was a common newspaper abbreviation for baseball team at the turn of the century.

All the performers listed are clowns so some of the clowns either had their own 

social club within the larger alley or this is a baseball team comprised of Ringling clowns

A much better scan from the personal collection of Hank Peare (courtesy of Gary Peare)

BUZZY POTTS

POODLES HANNEFORD: New York Clipper (April 7, 1920)

SETTLE POODLES COMPLAINT

The complaint of Poodles Hanneford, the Hippodrome clown, charging the May Wirth act with infringing upon his material, which gave rise to considerable discussion among both vaudeville and circus folk when it was filed with the N. V. A ., has been settled in favor of the Wirth act. According to the decision of the complaint board, the infringements which Hanneford claimed against the Wirth act have and are being used by scores of equestrians. Expert testimony was given to this effect by Charles Ringling, Toto, and a number of other circus folk. However, it has been suggested that Phil, the comedian in the Wirth act, change his makeup, which, it was contended, is identical to that of Poodles .

TOTO: Hollow Tree

Courtesy of Past Tense

Autographed photo of Toto the Clown, at the Hollow Tree, n.d.

Toto’s real name was Alfonso Novello. He was born in Genf, Switzerland in 1888. He starred in comedic shorts for filmmaker Hal Roach, and started in vaudeville in 1918. His act included a dog named Whiskey, who rode along with Toto in his clown car. Toto headlined at the New York Hippodrome and the Palace Theater. He died in 1938 while in the process of suing the New York Daily Mirror for mistakenly reporting his death.

HUNTING GAG: Los Angeles Herald (November 13, 1907)

Charlie Bell: Hunting Gag August 14, 1947

DOG MADE UP AS RABBIT SCORES HIT AT CIRCUS

One of the cleverest acts in the Norrls & Rowe circus yesterday was that of Toto Ducro, clown. Ducro has a dog made up to represent a rabbit. The clown goes on a rabbit hunting trip and is followed by the rabbit dog; the clown sees the rabbit; it sits on its hind legs; the clown takes aim; fires an imaginary gun and the rabbit falls over as If shot.

The clown goes to the supposedly dead rabbit and picks it up and throws it carelessly down. The rabbit does not move from the position in which It falls, but as soon as the clown walks away the rabbit follows him again. It is a new and novel act and is the finest specimen of animal training seen in years.

Lou Jacobs and Knucklehead: Hunting Gag 1977

PETE MARDO: Hopkinsville Kentuckian (October 20, 1914)

Pete Mardo, a Famous European Clown Coming

With Ringling Bros. Shows.

Once each month the clowns of Ringling Brothers' circus, which is coming here Wednesday, Oct. 21, hold a meeting and elect a "joke editor." It becomes the duty of this official to buy all the newspapers procurable and to read them religiously. Whenever he comes upon a topic which, might serve for an up-to-date parody or humorous caricature,
he puts it aside.

Every afternoon at 1 o'clock there is a meeting of what is known as the "sawdust senate." This is composed of a committee of twenty clowns selected from the entire army of jesters. The "editor" makes his report to this body and
they discuss it and select those ideas which may be turned to account on the hippodrome track.

This is the secret of the down-to-the-minute performances of the Ringling Brothers' skylarkers. There is not a fad of dress, dance or unusual innovation which they do not portray in some ludicrous manner.

They pantomime public and political events, but with so much good humor that the bitterest of factionists pound each other on the back and roar with laughter. The clowns do not fear to enter the land of invention, but introduce gaudy painted airships which skim around in the tent top and explode while in mid-air. They flit around the hippodrome track in queer looking racing cars, throw terrible looking but quite innocent bombs, and shoot each other
from big wooden cannons. They mimic everybody and everything.

Sandwiched between the gorgeousness of the new spectacle of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba with its cast
of 1.250 characters, and the daring of the areanic displays, these Merry Andrews temper the entire circus program with the rarest of comedy.

LARRY CROSS: Wallace Bros. Circus (1941)

CLOWN ALLEY: Ringling Bros. (Plymouth, Indiana 1908)

From the personal collection of Hank Peare, courtesy of Gary Peare

HAGENBECK-WALLACE CLOWN ALLEY (1924)

Art Borella

Shorty Flemm . Ernest LaDoux , Kid Kennard , Bill Hart , Joe "Koko" Coyle . Art Borella . Joe Gould , Friday Wright , Art Potter , John Potter , Bill Potter , Walter Goodenough . Earl Shipley . Ray McDonald , Louis Plamondln , Abe Arononson . Billy Henderson , Charlie West , Dick Pinckney , James Duggar . James Thomas , Chester "Bobo" Barnett and Wallace Cobb

Joe "Koko" Coyle