Englishman Harry Payne, who performed with his brother Fred, was one the most successful clowns of the nineteenth century. In this photo we can see hints of the modern clown costume alongside traces of a traditional clown costume developed for the harlequinade. This form of comedy theatre emerged in England in the 1600s and revolved around the performances of a harlequin and a clown. This carte de visite is one of a collection of 800 photos of nineteenth-century theatrical and circus personalities held in 11 separate albums.