Not currently on display at the V&A

Print Collection

Print
1979 (drawn), 1980 (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 original drawings.

The artist noted the technical details of Gerry Cottle's Circus Big Top on this print so we know it was made by the tentmakers Canobbio in Milan, Italy, and that it had a seating capacity of about 1,360. It had four lattice King Poles 13 metres tall, each pole in two sections but travelled as one, with 36 quarter poles painted blue. The canvas top had 6 sections, 2 centres, 4 quarters and a cupola, and the walls were in 12 sections, 4 metres high. The tent was first used for a tour with Mary Chipperfield's animals in the 1970s and was also used in Hyde Park in May 1979 for 'The Great Children's Party celebrations when it was visited by Her Majesty The Queen.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitlePrint Collection (named collection)
Materials and techniques
printing ink on cartridge paper
Brief description
Gerry Cottle's Big Top, Horsham, Sussex, 1979. Print from an original drawing by Stewart Waghorn, ARCA, printed by Woodcote Press, copyright Rosaire Prints 1980, Tentmaster Series no.2.
Physical description
Print on white paper of the exterior of Gerry Cottle's four-mast Big Top or circus tent with a red and white top and red and white panels for the side walls. Below the image is the title GERRY COTTLE'S BIG TOP Horsham 24th-27th June 1979' with a detailed description of the construction of the tent.
Dimensions
  • Height: 47.0cm
  • Width: 63.3cm
Copy number
65/200
Marks and inscriptions
Signed by the artist in pencil bottom right 'S.J. Waghorn' and inscribed in pencil with the number of the edition, '65'
Credit line
Given by Stewart Waghorn ARCA
Production
World copyright 1978: Rosaire Prints, Tentmaster Series No.2.
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 original drawings.

The artist noted the technical details of Gerry Cottle's Circus Big Top on this print so we know it was made by the tentmakers Canobbio in Milan, Italy, and that it had a seating capacity of about 1,360. It had four lattice King Poles 13 metres tall, each pole in two sections but travelled as one, with 36 quarter poles painted blue. The canvas top had 6 sections, 2 centres, 4 quarters and a cupola, and the walls were in 12 sections, 4 metres high. The tent was first used for a tour with Mary Chipperfield's animals in the 1970s and was also used in Hyde Park in May 1979 for 'The Great Children's Party celebrations when it was visited by Her Majesty The Queen.
Associated objects
Collection
Accession number
S.388-1989

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Record createdJune 8, 2007
Record URL
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