Object Record
Images
Metadata
Object Name |
Shoe, Clown |
Source |
Felix Adler Children's Discovery Center |
Iowa History Era Tag |
World War II to an Urban State (1940-1963) |
Chronological Tag |
Postwar United States (1945-1970s) |
Catalog Number |
2018.022.052 |
Credit line |
Felix Adler Children's Discovery Center - Clinton, Iowa |
Description |
These shoes were part of Frank "Felix" Adler's traditional clown costume, which he wore during most of his performances. Like many pieces of his costume, Adler handmade these shoes to appear the way he wanted them to. A photograph of the shoes compared to a size 6 women's tennis shoes is also attached. Frank Adler, who later used the stage name Felix Adler, was born in Clinton, Iowa on June 17, 1895. At the age of 15, Adler began working as a comedian around the Clinton area. Sometime around 1914, Adler joined Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus. Shortly after, however, Adler left the circus and served in the Army during World War I. In 1919, Adler returned to the circus and became "Funny Felix the Clown." During his career, Adler appeared in movies and TV shows including The Greatest Show on Earth (1952), The Jackie Gleason Show, Person to Person, Howdy Doody Show, Super Circus and Martin Kane Private Eye. He was the first American clown on television. Adler also earned the nickname, "The Whitehouse Clown" for the many times he performed for United States presidents, including Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1948, Adler married Amelia Irwin, who also was a circus clown. The duo became the first husband and wife circus clown team. The pair retired from the circus in 1959. Frank "Felix" Adler passed away on February 1, 1960 and was buried in Clinton, Iowa. To celebrate his life, the town of Clinton celebrates Felix Adler Day each June. Content can be used with the following standards: 3rd grade SS 3.28 Cultural Contributions in a lesson on entertainment in the mid-1900s. For any use other than instructional resources, please check with the organization that owns this item regarding copyright restrictions. |
Additional Research & Sources |
The first circus created in 1793 did not include clowns in its acts. However, with a need for a comedic part of the show, clowns soon became part of travelling shows, entertaining the audience with jokes, skits and performing scenarios that defied social norms. In the late 1800s, during a period of focus on child innocence and youth, clowns' identity became more focused on entertaining children. In addition to circus acts, books, magazines and other forms of publicity shared the carefree, clumsy character of clowns to a youth-centered audience. In the 1940s onward, children's television shows that featured clowns continued the cliche that had formed in the previous decades. Personas such as Clarabelle the Clown and Ronald McDonald were created to promote and advertise products towards children, and those who performed as clowns reached national popularity. It was not until the 1980s when clowns began to transform into the stereotype of the "scary clown", an idea that emerged with popular media such as the bestseller "It" by author Stephen King and horror movies based on clowns. |
Primary/Secondary Source |
Significant - Local |
County Tag |
Clinton |
People |
Adler, Frank Adler, Felix |
Relation |
Show Related Records... |
Multimedia Links |
Click here to view/hear the file. Click here to view/hear the file. |
Search Terms |
Destinations/Attractions People Performing Arts Clowns Costumes Shoes |
Legal Status |
Ownership of this resource is held by the Felix Adler Children's Discovery Center and has been provided here for educational purposes only, specifically for use in the Iowa Museum Association's "Teaching Iowa History" project. It may not be downloaded, reproduced or distributed in any format without written permission from the Rights Holder. For information on U.S. and International copyright laws, consult an attorney. |
