Harringay Circus - home of the 'World's only Female Clown'

Lulu Adams was an English female clown who worked both in the USA and UK. She was the daughter of Joe Craston, a famous Victorian bareback rider and clown and was a sixth generation circus performer.

Lulu first appeared with her father in his clown act in the Edwardian period and went on to develop her own show and act with her brother and sister called the Crastonians in 1923. She ran away and married her husband at age 25 and appeared as a champagne and globe equilibrist act in 1924 appeared in the Olympia in London for five years presenting a number of clown burlesques.

Lulu continued performing until the 1950s with Tom Arnold's circus in Harringay, where she was styled as the only fenale clown in the world. Her first performance at Harringay was at eth very first Harrinay circus, the 1948-49 season. Just Prior to working in Harrinay she had spend five yrars working for P.T. Barnum in New York.

This photo was taken on July 29 in 1948.