Joseph Grimaldi - Exmouth Market, London, UK
Posted by: Groundspeak Regular Member Master Mariner
N 51° 31.569 W 000° 06.513
30U E 700569 N 5712301
This English Heritage blue plaque, advising the Joseph Grimaldi the clown lived here, is attached to a building on the south east side of Exmouth Market in London.
Waymark Code: WMN2JE
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 12/14/2014
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member bill&ben
Views: 1

The Encyclopaedia Britannica website tells us about Joseph Grimaldi:

Joseph Grimaldi,  (born Dec. 18, 1778, London—died May 31, 1837, London), English clown and pantomimist.

Grimaldi came from a family of dancers and entertainers and made his debut as a dancer at age four at the Sadler’s Wells Theatre. For a number of years he appeared at two theatres nightly, running from one to the other. In 1806 he joined Covent Garden Theatre, where, in the pantomime Harlequin Mother Goose, he enjoyed his greatest success. In this production he created a new type of clown combining rogue and simpleton, criminal and innocent dupe in one character, a role subsequently adopted by many other English clowns. His whiteface makeup and impudent thievery became the norm for all pantomime clowns (“Joeys”) who came after.

In 1816 Grimaldi terminated his relationship with the Sadler’s Wells Theatre but two years later purchased a part interest in it. In 1822 his health began to fail and he was unable to fulfill his remaining commitments at Covent Garden. He was made assistant manager at Sadler’s Wells in 1825 and gave his last public performance in 1828. At the height of his powers, Grimaldi was considered to have no equal as a comedic performer. His memoirs were edited by Charles Dickens in 1838.

Blue Plaque managing agency: English Heritage

Individual Recognized: Joseph Grimaldi

Physical Address:
56 Exmouth Market
London, United Kingdom


Web Address: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:
To log an entry for a "Blue Plaque," please try to include a picture of you next to the plaque!
Search for...
Geocaching.com Google Map
Google Maps
MapQuest
Bing Maps
Nearest Waymarks
Nearest Blue Plaques
Nearest Geocaches
Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point
Recent Visits/Logs:
There are no logs for this waymark yet.