A late 18th-century clown, "Jean-Gaspard Deburau was capturing the imagination of audiences at the Theatre des Funambules in Paris. Deburau, whose life was the basis for Marcel Carne’s French film “Les Enfants du Paradis,” wore white face makeup, a skullcap, and an all-white suit; he was an adept juggler, acrobat, and mime … Since then, white face circus clowns have followed in the footsteps of Deburau" (Hoh, 1990, p. 203).
http://iath.virginia.edu/cocoon/circus/xml