1.25” without dot pattern and with tanned backpaper of St. Paul firm “Shepherd Photo Co.” Adams was born in 1853 and began his career as an infant with his uncle James E. Cooke. He worked for many years in Europe and then in the 1870s came to America where his great specialty was a clown act on stilts. He was also a pantomime, expert gymnast, contortionist and first-class rider. In this country he organized a royal “Humpty Dumpty” troupe and this button likely dates from the late 1890s when he was in partnership with Adam Forepaugh in a “Humpty Dumpty” company. Cello surface has a number of very fine scattered scratch lines but these show just in reflected light and not at all with normal viewing. An early and historic circus related button. Only example we’ve seen. From the Morry Greener Collection.