Vintage Circus Acts

Historical images of clowns, puppetry, and circus performers, highlighting the charm of vintage entertainment.

Vintage photograph. Portrait of clown wearing silly hat

New York, New York: December 27, 1946 Herman, the roller skating anthropoid.

Anefo photo collection. Poppent theater. Poppent theater. January 28, 1946

Vintage photograph. Portrait of clown wearing silly hat

4191-V111113511

Vintage Photograph. Hobo clown with round eyeglasses holding up toothpick to mouth in front of circus tent

Charlie Rivel, payaso español.

Vintage Photograph. Man dressed as clown in front of solid studio background

Vintage Photograph. Smiling clown in polka dot costume and funny hat

Vintage photograph. clown marionette holding female marionette

Vintage photograph. clown marionette with hands up

Vintage Photograph. Man in polka dot clown costume with makeup and hat

HE WHO GETS SLAPPED (1924), directed by VICTOR SJOSTROM.

Vintage photograph. clown marionette with hands up

Vintage photograph. marionette with legs up

Vintage photograph. clown marionette with hands up

Two marionettes dancing

Vintage Photograph. Man dressed as hobo clown with head breaking through paper on round frame holding hands up

Vintage photograph. Male and female puppets having a conversation

Marx Brothers

CURSE OF THE FACELESS MAN (1958), directed by EDWARD L. CAHN.

Vintage photograph. Portrait of clown wearing silly hat and dancing

Halloween costume (OV2019_351)

Vintage Photograph. Smiling man in clown costume and makeup with fuzzy ball on head and eyes squinting

Anefo photo collection. Television game "Bridge of sighs", Elly van Stekelenburg and Hans Culeman. October 5, 1960

Clowning Is Serious Business! - The funny face of the clown oft masks a serious face and heart, as every audience of "I Pagliacci" knows. Perhaps the greatest exemplar extant, outside of the classic halls of opera and inside the realm of real life, is Emmett Kelly, who has kept circus fans in stitches for 30 years which his sad and solemn clowning. Creator of "Weary Willie," he is America's Number One clown, but he discusses his craft with the seriousness of a nuclear scientist talking over the atom bomb. Herewith Clown Kelly as Hollywood gets its first look at him creating a new clown face for his first role in films in "The Fat Man," being produced by Universal-International Studios:. January 01, 1950.

Margaret Brainard Hamilton (December 9, 1902 ñ May 16, 1985) as the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Vintage photograph. Howdy Doody ventriloquist puppet positioned to be looking at camera.

Studio portrait of scary clown

Anefo photo collection. Pipo de Clown (Cor Wittschge). November 5, 1963

CHARLOTTE HENRY in ALICE IN WONDERLAND (1933), directed by NORMAN Z. MCLEOD.

Vintage photograph. Portrait of clown wearing silly hat with hand on chin

Anefo photo collection. KRO TV "Dream dream" direction Frits Brickisher, Jan Teulings and H. Bas. October 9, 1964

Vintage photograph. marionette with legs up

Vintage Photograph. Hobo clown holding oversized large lollipop

Dreamy Sweedy (cinema 1914). 1914. Photographs. Billy Rose Theatre Division

Anefo photo collection. Premiere Viennese ice revue in Rai, under the title Kapriole the ice ballet on the floor. October 31, 1962

The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and based on the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Braum. Starring Judy Garland and Ray Bolger it featured what could be the most elaborate use of make up and special effects in a film at that time. It was not a box office hit at first in terms of earnings but the following years more than made up for it.

BERT LAHR, JACK HALEY, JUDY GARLAND and RAY BOLGER in THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939), directed by VICTOR FLEMING.

TRICK OR TREAT (EV001201_H)

Minticz Skarżyńska Lidia and Skarżyński Jerzy Stage Design and Costumes for the Staging of Turkey by Sławomir Mrożek Directed by Lidia Zamkow in the old theater in Krakow .

Anefo photo collection. TV, Bram Biesterveld in action. April 17, 1974

Studio portrait of clown

Vintage photograph. clown marionettes sitting together

Anefo photo collection. Recordings of the TV program "Panorama Wednesday show". V.l.n.r. John Soer, Johan Te Slaa, Sacco van der Made. March 1, 1974

Vintage photograph. Closeup of male and female puppet together

Vintage photograph. Puppets dancing

Vintage Photograph. Man in polka dot clown suit looping arms at side

Exhibit. Photographs of Marshall Plan Programs, Exhibits, and Personnel

4191-V111114874

Anefo photo collection. Children's party at Robertje. January 20, 1971

LARRY SEMON in THE WIZARD OF OZ (1925), directed by LARRY SEMON.

Vintage photograph. clown marionette with hands up

Happy and sad clown figuines

LON CHANEY in LAUGH, CLOWN, LAUGH (1928), directed by HERBERT BRENON.

Image of a scene from the program "ABC Expres" of the ABC cabaret.

SHIRLEY TEMPLE and FRANK MORGAN in DIMPLES (1936), directed by WILLIAM A. SEITER.

OLIVER HARDY and STAN LAUREL in BABES IN TOYLAND (1934), directed by CHARLEY ROGERS.

FORD STERLING and BILLY BARTY in ALICE IN WONDERLAND (1933), directed by NORMAN Z. MCLEOD.

1950s 1960s TRIPTYCH COMPOSITE THREE IMAGES OF MAN CLOWN APPLYING MAKE-UP TO CLEAN FACE BEFORE DURING AFTER

Anefo photo collection. "On loose grooves" TV, TROS, Bolle Jan and Paul Rollma (right). April 17, 1974

Drawing red lines down his face to exaggerate his saddened eyes and adding enormous brows of navy blue greasepaint, Kelly added, "Funny men are rarely funny off stage or screen. The only one I know - that is, the only comedian with a clown instinct who is occasionally a clown in real life - is Danny Kaye. He has fits of humor and practical joking when he is uncontrollable. But only rare intervals; at other times he goes around with a long ***** sad heart. A real clown."Clowning Is Serious Business! - The funny face of the clown oft masks a serious face and heart, as every audience of "I Pagliacci" knows. Perhaps the greatest exemplar extant, outside of the classic halls of opera and inside the realm of real life, is Emmett Kelly, who has kept circus fans in stitches for 30 years which his sad and solemn clowning. January 01, 1950.

Clown embracing boy

DONALD O'CONNOR, JUDY GARLAND and JERRY VAN DYKE in THE JUDY GARLAND SHOW (1963), directed by BILL HOBIN.

Eddie Murphy, J. L. Reate, on-set of the Film, "The Golden Child", Paramount Pictures, 1986

Original Film Title: BLACK FRIDAY. English Title: BLACK FRIDAY. Film Director: ARTHUR LUBIN. Year: 1940. Stars: ANNE NAGEL.

Vintage Photograph. Clown seated outside circus tent dejected.

THE WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS (1966) -Original title: FURANKENSHUTAIN NO KAIJÛ: SANDA TAI GAIRA-, directed by ISHIRO HONDA.

Studio shot of clown eating sandwich

ANNE NAGEL in BLACK FRIDAY (1940), directed by ARTHUR LUBIN.

Anefo photo collection. Music Hall 30 November next. Rich de Goooyer and Rudi Carrell (like Sinterklaas). November 15, 1962

Anefo photo collection. First representation of the fabeltjeskrant on the stage (with dolls) in the Casimir Lyceum in Amstelveen. April 10, 1969. Amstelveen, Noord-Holland

Larry, biding his time, does a quick double shuffle and lands on Charley's back. Charley closes his eyes. He'd rather not see what's coming to him. January 15, 1953. (Photo by Daily Mirror).

OLIVER HARDY and STAN LAUREL in BONNIE SCOTLAND (1935), directed by JAMES W. HORNE.

GARY COOPER and CHARLOTTE HENRY in ALICE IN WONDERLAND (1933), directed by NORMAN Z. MCLEOD.

The spirit of Christmas (EV008064_H)

Jack Carson repels an apache onslaught with a firm hand and a very confident smile. July 28, 1950.

Three Stooges

Five Year-Old Child Conducts Symphony Orchestra -- Five-year-old Gianella De Marco, Italy's latest musical genius, who has just completed her first symphony orchestra in Oscara, Italy, is seen at work with her baton. Daughter of a musical impressario and well-known Soprano, Gianella is the third of the Italian child profigies discovered since the war. Strangely enough Gianella has not yet war. Strangely enough Gianella has not yet learned to read and write.British Home Office permission has been given for eight-year-old Italian girl Giannella de Marco conducted the London Philharmonic Orchestra at Manchester on March 10 and at the Royal Albert Hall two days kater, on condition that she receives no payment. December 10, 1948. (Photo by AAP).

BELA LUGOSI in THE APE MAN (1943), directed by WILLIAM BEAUDINE.

Exhibition of Japanese Ceremonial Festival Dolls. -- Kintaro and Giant Carp. January 23, 1933.

A shop window on Kuznetsky Most in Moscow, decorated for November 7, 1932. It is a parody on a "fat" banker and a merchant.

Electric Light Orchestra, Elo, 70s.

ALFRED HITCHCOCK'S THE BIRDS (1963) -Original title: THE BIRDS-, directed by ALFRED HITCHCOCK.

Anefo photo collection. Circus elbow in new la mar theater, dangerous trick from elephant bin. December 29, 1966

HARPO MARX in LOVE HAPPY (1949), directed by DAVID MILLER.

Disguised man sitting on a wooden banister and greeting, carnival, ca. 1945,1955, Freiburg, Germany, Europe

Santough. Stage Beauty Salon, Gene O. Taffet. 1024-A Beacon St., Brookline , Beauty shops, Hair dryers, Spouses. Leon Abdalian Collection

Boy with egg and rabbit, 1930s, Young pantomime with top hat presents a rabbit with magic wand and egg, historical photo

Anefo photo collection. The Rika Jansen One Woman Show in Rembrandttheater, Rika Jansen in her show. July 17, 1964

of 2