Joseph Grimaldi

The most famous and popular of all the clowns in harlequinade and pantomime was Joseph Grimaldi. Despite his Italian name and family origins, he was born in London in 1779, dying in 1837.

To this day he is commemorated annually by clowns in their own church, Holy Trinity in Dalston, East London at the beginning of February.

There were a selection of clowns, old and new, good and bad, professional and part-time, and a unique opportunity to grab some images of some unusual characters.

This particular clown was an older clown who caught my attention. I was very lucky to be in the right place at the right time and chose the right camera angle to make this shot work in a room packed with clowns and public waiting for the clown show to begin. Thanks Mr. Clown.