There's a word in the English language known as "coulrophobia." Symptoms of the condition can include sweating, nausea, dread, a racing heartbeat, crying, screaming and anger. The word isn't in our normal lexicon because a number of people wanting to avoid, ignore or deny it. That's because the simple definition is an acute fear of clowns, and for some, it's very real.

What's genuinely curious about this is children often being the most affected. Of course, they are also the primary target of clowns and have been for centuries.

Not long ago, Buttons became a famous clown in the film "The Greatest Show On Earth." After that was TV's Clarabelle and Bozo in the '50s and '60s. Today we have Krusty the Clown on "The Simpsons." And naturally Ronald McDonald is far and away the most iconic and certainly most commercial clown of all time.

Of course, advertising often skews things to be bigger, more pronounced and/or in your face than normal. That's what gets attention. Today that seems essential, considering how oversaturated we are by messages and technology. But what about over a century ago when there was no TV, radio, Internet or other electronic distractions?

A new set of postage stamps takes us back to those days when picture advertising was just beginning; advertisers went over the top to get the attention and money of consumers. Most prolific were circus promoters all trying to suggest they had the most astounding and compelling attractions. Among these were Barnum and Bailey, the Ringling Brothers, Sells Floto and Hagenbeck-Wallace.

Most circuses have faded away, and Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey combined forces in order to survive modern attractions (movies, TV, etc.). But back in their day, nothing could match the allure of the Big Top. Kids were so enamored they spoke of running away to join a circus. Some did. But all were intrigued and lured to the show by the barrage of colorful and captivating posters that went up throughout towns and cities prior to a circus arriving. Naturally, along with exotic animals and daring performers, many of those posters and actual shows included larger-than-life clowns.

The new set of 10 "Forever" stamps showcasing those early circus posters illustrates just how extreme the promotions were. Originally produced in the lithograph method of printing, the posters came in extraordinary sizes.

A normal poster size was 42 inches by 28 inches. That was "small." The posters were often printed so they went together in multiple sheets. Some were two or three poster sheets large. Others combined 12, 24 or even up to 100 poster sheets to cover the entire side of a building. It's those huge sizes that coined the term "broadside."

Most of the posters on the sheet of stamps are now part of the rare collection at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. It should be no surprise that surviving examples of the posters in any condition are quite rare and valuable. In addition to patently scary clowns, the posters on the stamps include a tiger, elephant, tiger riding an elephant, a female acrobat, female wire walker and a man named Hillary Long, who the poster claims to "put his skates upon his head and wears his hat on his feet" as he travels upside-down on flights of stairs and ramps with jumps.

The Vintage Circus Poster stamps were issued last week at the Ringling Museum in Sarasota, Florida. Special First Day of Issue cancels are still available to collectors, history buffs, die-hard circus fans of all ages and those trying to confront and get over their case of coulrophobia.

To obtain the cancels, purchase the stamps at a local post office, affix them to self addressed envelopes and send those inside of a separate mailing envelope to: Vintage Circus Posters, Postmaster, 1661 Ringling Blvd, Sarasota, FL 34230-9998.

There's no charge for the special cancel, but all orders MUST be postmarked no later than July 4, 2014. The canceled envelopes will be returned via regular mail.

Editor's Note: A JPEG visual of a single Vintage Circus Stamp bearing the image of a clown, plus the entire sheet of stamps, has been sent with this column.

To find out more about Peter Rexford and features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.