Lindsay the Clown | A grand performance of activity and mirth …

Lindsay the Clown

Activity. Lindsay The Clown. Mr. Lindsay respectfully informs the ladies and gentlemen of this place, that he and his company will give a grand performance of activity and mirth … [N.p., 1834]

Broadside (705 x 534 mm). Boldly printed with a profusion of fonts, bordered with woodcuts of figures performing various acrobatic and performative feats; browning, spotting and staining, old folds, and a few holes and chips costing three or so letters, upper left corner repaired. Framed and glazed; not examined out of frame.

Hugh Lindsay, known as “Old Hontz” [Hons] the clown, was born in 1804, and is now regarded as a pioneer of minstrel shows. Ivan Showeriskey, also mentioned here, was noted for his slack rope performance, suspending himself by one heel, and then plunging into the air with "a jerk" sufficient to break the bones of a common man. While performing in Baltimore in 1836, the rope suddenly broke, and Showeriskey plummeted headfirst to the ground, suffering fatal injuries.