COCO

Here's a drawing I made of of the famous clown, COCO, created by Nicolai Poliakoff, when I lived in London in the sixties.


Here's some photos.

Some famous clowns of the sixties

Here are some drawings of clowns I made a long time ago.



In the 1960's Rose Hanlon was America's only woman clown. Her makeup is identical with that of her male colleagues. When she is in action in the arena it is quite impossible to differentiate her for from the conventional male species of clown.









Felix Adler.
A close competitor of Emmett Kelly for the title of King of the American clowns. Adler started with Ringling's in 1910 and was a great popular favorite.

















Emmett Kelly
To millions of American boys and girls from 7-70, he is known as old sad face. The celebrated Emmett Kelly was with the Ringling Circus for over twenty years. He was probably the most highly paid clown in the world since Crock in his heyday.













Lou Jacobs
This clown specializes in comic entrances. His best known entrance is to come shooting into the ring in a minute motor car. He uses this form of entrance rather in the same manner as a band leader uses a signature tune.











Johnny Tripp
This clown's speciality is in miming. He is often to be seen impersonating the part of a woman of formidable proportions. He was a popular favorite for many years.















Ernie Burch
Dressed for the sawdust ring. Clown and master of burlesque he specializes in caricatures, all of which bear the stamp of his own very individual genius.








Paul Jerome
The man with only one makeup. He is always dressed as a vagabond. In moments of elation his nose lights up.
















Potts
His real name is Herbert Rhamys. He designed his own costumes and writes his own script for his miming.

Eggs with Clowns on their faces

These are my sketches of some of the original chicken egg clown masks registered at the Clown Museum in the U.K.

John Cleese

There is an episode of the old TV series, 'The Avengers' that contains a very funny skit by a young John Cleese as the curator of the Clown Egg Museum. He is well reviewed here

Healing clowns

Clowns are the best healers. Laughter is the BEST MEDICINE.


And not only do clowns help heal young children either. Teenagers having difficulties could learn to clown too. The idea being to make people laugh so as to get rid of the anger.

See more of Irene's art here.

The history of Clown Masks

In my twenties I researched my interest in clowns and discovered there is a register for all clown make up in the world. This practice began in 1946 at the home of a British Clown, and the images were painted on chicken egg shells. Now the eggs are ceramic. They are held at the office of Clown International in England. There is also now a registry in the U.S. The faces on eggs are arranged in a drawer with the name of the clown to make the actual design of each clown's makeup unique and copyrighted to the clown concerned.

Here's some more info: EGGS WITH CLOWNS ON THEIR FACES