Grimaldi, Joseph (1778-1837), was one of the greatest British clowns, and had an important influence on the development of the pantomime. His biggest success was in Charles Dibdin’s Mother Goose in 1806. As a result of Grimaldi’s popularity, the clown became a more important character in pantomime than the harlequin.
Grimaldi was born on Dec. 18, 1778, in London. His father was also a clown. Joseph helped him and made his first public appearance when he was only 2 years old. He died on May 31, 1837.
