Not currently on display at the V&A

Print Collection

Print
1976 (drawn), 1978 (printed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Stewart Waghorn, the artist of this drawing of Chipperfield's four-mast Big Top, was trained as an architect. He specialised in looking at circus tents with an architect's eye and this is one of a series of 'Tentmaster' prints after his own drawings.

The artist noted the technical details of Chipperfield's Big Top on this print so we know it was made by the tentmakers Stroymeyer in Konstanz, Germany, and that it had a seating capacity of about 2,000. It was 120 feet in diameter with four steel prefabricated lattice masts, each in two sections, with 40 quarter poles painted red and yellow. The deep blue canvas top had 8 sections, 4 quarters and 4 middles, with red and yellow trimmings. The yellow and red PVC side wallings were 13 feet high with 120 side poles painted red.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitlePrint Collection (named collection)
Materials and techniques
printing ink on cartridge paper
Brief description
Chipperfield's Big Top, Keymer, Sussex, 1976. Print from an original drawing by Stewart Waghorn, ARCA, printed by Woodcote Press, copyright Rosaire Prints 1978, Tentmaster Series no.1.
Physical description
Print on white paper of the exterior of Chipperfield's four-mast Big Top or circus tent with a blue canvas top, and red and yellow panels for the side walls. Below the image is the title CHIPPERFIELD'S BIG TOP, KEYMER, SUSSEX, 1976' with a detailed description of the construction of the tent.
Dimensions
  • Height: 45.5cm
  • Width: 63.3cm
Marks and inscriptions
Signed by the artist in pencil bottom right 'S.J. Waghorn'
Credit line
Given by Stewart Waghorn ARCA
Production
World copyright 1978: Rosaire Prints, Tentmaster Series No.1.
Subject depicted
Summary
Stewart Waghorn, the artist of this drawing of Chipperfield's four-mast Big Top, was trained as an architect. He specialised in looking at circus tents with an architect's eye and this is one of a series of 'Tentmaster' prints after his own drawings.

The artist noted the technical details of Chipperfield's Big Top on this print so we know it was made by the tentmakers Stroymeyer in Konstanz, Germany, and that it had a seating capacity of about 2,000. It was 120 feet in diameter with four steel prefabricated lattice masts, each in two sections, with 40 quarter poles painted red and yellow. The deep blue canvas top had 8 sections, 4 quarters and 4 middles, with red and yellow trimmings. The yellow and red PVC side wallings were 13 feet high with 120 side poles painted red.
Associated objects
Collection
Accession number
S.387-1989

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Record createdJune 6, 2007
Record URL
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