This richly illustrated volume brings readers into the fascinating realm of the circus through the lives and art of its clowns. From historic jesters and street fools to the masters of modern ring comedy, leading circus scholars and practitioners present portraits, anecdotes and authoritative essays on technique, repertoire and personalities. Detailed entries profile celebrated clowns past and present, explain the varieties of clowning, and reveal the craft behind the laughter: make up and costume, pantomime and slapstick, tradition and innovation. Lavish photographs and archival illustrations make this edition both a family encyclopedia and a collectible for every circus lover. This illustrated volume focuses on clowns. Edited by A. Drigo, it features contributions from several circus experts and practitioners, including Sergey Makarov. It includes biographical portraits of famous clowns, historical overview articles (from court jesters and skomorokhi to Soviet and modern clown traditions), technical chapters on makeup and costume design, analyses of repertoire and entrées, and an extensive photo supplement with archival and contemporary photographs. It is intended as the first volume in a planned series "Encyclopedia for Children and Parents" and is both informative for young people and useful for collectors and researchers.