Lou Jacobs World Famous Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Clown

Photographer Unknown

Publication Date: 1950

About this Item

Gelatin silver print mounted on board, 7 1/2 x 9 1/2 in. (190 x 241 mm) from the Roland Butler Collection, Press Agent, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (1930s-1960s) Roland Butler Collection hand stamp on verso. "Lou Jacobs was one of the most famous professional clowns in the world, a favorite to American circus-lovers for 60 years. Touring with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus based in Sarasota, Jacobs touched the lives of both adults and children around the globe. He also became a founding professor at Clown College in Venice, Florida, where he helped create generations of future clowns. The circus gave Jacobs all the opportunity and inspiration to pursue his dream of becoming a professional clown. By 1935 he had transformed himself through innovative make-up and outlandish, over-sized clothes into an irresistible attraction, and his knack for writing clever, funny gags had cemented his career in clowning. Some of Jacobs comic sketches became circus-clown classics. His most famous innovation was the introduction of a fully functional, midget-sized car into his act. Seeing Jacobs stuff his 6-foot-1-inch frame into the tiny car and then zooming helter-skelter around the big top delighted audiences for more than three decades. By the early 1950s, Jacobs was on his way to becoming a national celebrity." The Division of Cultural Affairs Florida Department of State Florida Artists Hall of Fame.

Seller Inventory # 242

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Lou Jacobs World Famous Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Clown
• Publication Date: 1950
• Condition: Very good
• Seller catalogs:
  • PHOTOGRAPHS
  • 20th Century