"Jung & Young" Rare early photographs of clown Paul Jung

Two early occupational/promotional photographs of Paul Jung, one-half of "Young & Jung", Florida ca. late 1920s. You can recognize the hallmarks of his makeup, nearly identical to the iconic, some say second-most famous clown face (after fellow Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey performer, Lou Jacobs).

These appear to be from the period that Jung worked in vaudeville, 1924-1934, before he became famous. The backward and tentatively scrawled "Y" suggests the photographer and/or the performers were still in a formative period. The photographs themselves are beautiful images, reminiscent of the soft, artful photographs of dancers from the period.

Per census records, Paul and his siblings were living with his brother-in-law in Tampa. His sister, Ethel, is also listed as being a vaudeville performer and is believed to be the woman in the photo. Plate marked "Moore, Jax., Fl." Jacksonville was a hotbed of activity for the entertainment industry, though its popularity waned as Los Angeles' grew. Jung returned to Ringling in 1934, met his wife Elsie and married her in 1938.

Both photos measure 8.5 x 6.5 inches and have light surface soil; the solo portrait has two small chips in the upper corners and the bottom center of the double portrait has old tape reinforcement. Incredibly rare images of the iconic Paul Jung developing the act and visual identity that would eventually be plastered on cereal boxes, then tragically on newspapers after he was murdered in 1965. Stunning.