The Clown Egg Register

Step right up for the Greatest Book on Earth For more than 70 years, Clowns International--the oldest established clowning organization--has been painting the faces of its members on eggs. Each one is a record of a clown's unique identity, preserving the unwritten rule that no clown should copy another's look. This mesmerizing volume collects more than 150 of these portraits, from 1946 to the modern day, accompanied by short personal histories of many of the clowns. Here are Tricky Nicky, Taffy, Bobo, Sammy Sunshine, the legendary Emmett Kelly, and Jolly Jack, clowning since 1977 and still performing today with a penguin puppet named Biscuit. A treasure just like the eggs it enshrines, The Clown Egg Register is an extraordinary archive of images and lives of the men and women behind the make-up.

Luke Stephenson is best known for his eccentric photographs of Britain. Often humorous in their outlook, his series subjects range from prize budgerigars to the World Beard and Moustache Championships. He lives in London.

Helen Champion studied Fine Art at Goldsmiths College, London, and is herself a clown called Zenden. She lives in Gloucester, England.