Felix Adler, The “King of Clowns”

Some kids are genuinely afraid of clowns. However, the little girl in this 1949 photo doesn’t seem intimidated by circus clowns one bit. She probably ran right up to the Jell-O clown to see what kind of delicious treats she could get from him. It was a different time, that’s for sure. 

The clown in this vintage photo was played by Felix Adler, a famous clown who performed with the Ringling Brothers Circus from 1919 to 1946. He later went on to play the Jell-O clown, which he played up with his distinctive appearance. If you look closely, you can see that his hat resembles a Jell-O mold. Adler was so famous at the time that he was coined the “King of Clowns.”