In my own research on the history of the 19th-century circus, I spend a lot of time in archives where I regularly come across vintage photos of clowns. Now, I don't consider myself afraid of clowns.

In the early 19th century, some circuses also featured a separate tent that contained a “cooch show.” Male patrons were invited, for a fee, to watch women dance and strip.

In my own research on the history of the 19th-century circus, I spend a lot of time in archives where I regularly come across vintage photos of clowns. Now, I don't consider myself afraid of clowns.

Magic, romance and mystery in a 19th-Century Circus. Posted August 20, 2012 THE BASICS ...

In my own research on the history of the 19th-century circus, I spend a lot of time in archives where I regularly come across vintage photos of clowns. Now, I don’t consider myself afraid of clowns.