Every clown’s face should be unique but should being a clown be your profession, how do you ensure that nobody copies yours? You have your face painted on an egg, of course, to be kept at the Clowns International register.
Just another strange British tradition? Well, no, actually, similar registers have been hatched outside of the U.K., but Clowns International’s egg collection is thought to be the oldest and the biggest.
How did this far from mainstream use of eggs come about?
The tradition dates back to the 1930s, started by analytical chemist Stan Bult, a circus and clown enthusiast and the founder of the International Circus Clowns Club, which became today’s Clowns International.
Over the years, Stan followed numerous circuses around the U.K recording the faces of hundreds of clowns on eggs and what started as a hobby turned into a huge display.
The painted eggs were the stars of various exhibitions but, after one, numerous were broken beyond repair, and now only 24 of the original 450 painted hens’ eggs survive.
The tradition died away, but recording members’ faces on eggs was resurrected by Clowns International in 1984.
Avoiding clown tears
Clowns and eggs - there was just too much risk, and Clowns International turned to ceramic versions to register their members’ faces and to remake some of the original, but lost, hen egg versions.
This, however, does not mean that eggs from our feathered friends are no longer entering the collection. Earlier this year, a pained goose egg entered the collection, donated about six months ago by a man who won it in a raffle, about 40 years ago at the Blackpool Tower Circus.
Should you be a clown and reading this, and be in need of registering your face, all you need to do is send Clowns International a high-quality photograph of your face, a separate picture that includes your costume from the waist up and a side view of your costume, along with the appropriate payment.
For those in the egg industry with an interest in viewing the collection and who find themselves in London, some 300 eggs are on display and can be viewed by appointment only. Sadly, there is no permanent museum for the collection. Perhaps someone in the industry might like to extend a helping hand. I cannot guarantee, however, that it won’t be met by a squirting flower!
With many thanks to Mattie for kindly granting me access to the collection.
