{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1818132"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1818132/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2026PV6480/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2026PV6480/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2026PV6480","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1818132/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1818132","accessionNumber":"S.1496-2026","objectType":"Painting","titles":[{"title":"Wild Animal Circus Ring Cage Props","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Annotated illustration describing props used in wild animal cages in circus ring performances. General props include seats and pedestals. Specific illustrated props include an arch used by Louis Knie at Circus Knie, 1986, a twin hoop used by James Clubb's mixed group, 1980s, a standing pedestal used by Rene Strickler at Circus Knie, 1978, a revolving mirrorball used by James Clubbs, late-1970s-1980s, a barrel prop used by John Chipperfield with Chipperfield's mixed bear act, ca. early-1980s, a slide used by Marcel Peters with Chipperfields Polar Bears at Gerry Cottle's Circus, Hong Kong, 1982 and a cradle for tiger and trainer, Mary Chipperfield's, ca. 1970s-1980s.\n\nStewart Waghorn (1929-2016) was an Associate of the Royal College of Art and member of the Circus Friends Association who spent more than 50 years documenting circus in the UK through his artworks.\r\n\nWaghorn was creatively inspired by circus from an early age, creating a model transport for ‘Long John Silver’s Circus’, after an inspirational visit to Lord John Sanger’s Circus as a child. During his studies at the Royal College of Art, Waghorn would attend the Bertram Mills Circus at Olympia on a press pass, watching and sketching the acts and environments from 8:30am until the last show. His work ‘Circus Scene’ (1954) is held in the collection of the Royal College of Art and in the 1950s and 1960s he had six circus painting exhibited in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition.\r\n\nIn the late 1970s Waghorn moved to an illustrative aesthetic. This work is from a large group of technical illustration artworks that explores the environments, architecture, engineering and logistics of circus in exceptional detail.","physicalDescription":"Annotated illustration showing props used in a wild animal cage circus ring, fifteen small images and one plan layout.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Waghorn, Stewart ARCA","id":"A19513"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25136"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"Paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"Watercolour","id":"AAT15045"}],"techniques":[{"text":"Painting","id":"x30598"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Watercolour painting on paper","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment and leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Circus","id":"THES261738"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2026PV6480"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"007","id":"THES360838"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Painting","id":"x30598"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"England","id":"x28826"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1989","earliest":"1989-01-01","latest":"1989-12-31"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Margaret Waghorn","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"610","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"870","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Wild animal circus ring cage props illustration, Stewart Waghorn, 1989","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.1496-2026"],"accessionNumberNum":"1496","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2026,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-11-06","recordCreationDate":"2026-03-11","availableToBook":false}}