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Pugh, John Wallace, Born 1938

 Person

Dates

  • Existence: Born 18 June 1938

Biography

John Wallace Pugh was born was born on 18 June 1938 in the Kennington district of London, to John 'Digger' Pugh and Sheila Smale Pugh.is the son of Digger Pugh, who is an internationally renowned circus showman, who became President and CEO of Cole Bros and has been credited with reinventing and revitalising The World's Largest Circus Under The Big Top in America. His ingenuity spurred him to design a radically different Big Top arena in American circuses and revolutionised the way circuses travelled in the country.

At the request of H.S.H. Rainier III, John served as a judge of the prestigious International Circus Festival in Monte Carlo. The United Kingdom's World's Fair Association presented him its 'International Award' and John received Sarasota's Ringling Museum's 'Power Behind the Scenes' Award.

In 2010 John Pugh was inducted into the Circus Ring of Fame which noted, 'Few have done more to preserve the traditions of the traveling, 3-Ring Tented American Circus.'

Found in 9 Collections and/or Records:

American and International Circus Programmes, c1950 - 1959

 Sub-Series
Reference code: 178K56.52-77
Scope and Contents

American and international circus programmes including Circo Americano, Boswell-Wilkie, Oklahoma State Fair, Cole Bros Circus, Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. and Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus, all contain photographs of the acts and descriptions. In various languages.

Dates: c1950 - 1959

Circus Films, c1950 - 1959

 Item
Reference code: 178D24.1
Scope and Contents

Copy of film on DVD showing performers at Harringay and with Bertram Mills, Polack Bros. Cole Bros Circus and Rosaires among other circuses. Also showing Digger Pugh on the trampoline and roller skates, other acts include female aerial acts, acrobatics, clowning, wild animal acts, equestrian acts, fakir acts, clowning and circus parades. Also scenes of performers behind the scenes and outdoor performances. Black and white and colour with narration and background music.

Dates: c1950 - 1959

Circus Films, c1950 - 1959

 Item
Reference code: 178D24.2
Scope and Contents Copy of film on DVD showing scenery and cities around the world including Berlin, China, Paris, New York City, Coney Island, women lifting weights on the beach, acrobatics, scenes at Clyde Beatty circus and elephants at Sarasota among others. Also people ice skating, people on a cruise ship, a plane taking off, a lorry on fire, people parachuting from a metal contraption, warships being sunk, a street festival in Africa, a football match, scenes in India including a burial, a female...
Dates: c1950 - 1959

Circus Films, c1950 - 1959

 Item
Reference code: 178D24.3
Scope and Contents

Copy of film on DVD showing trampoline acts, female aerial acts, trapeze, acrobatics, clowning, wild animal acts, equestrian acts, ball ballancing and circus parades at various locations as well as circus scenes outside the tent and building the tent and with various circuses including Clyde Beatty, Ringling and Circo Americano and circus buildings in Germany and Viena. Colour, silent.

Dates: c1950 - 1959

Circus Films, c1950 - 1959

 Item
Reference code: 178D24.4
Scope and Contents This film contains scenes of animal cruelty and human casualties that may be upseting to some viewers. Copy of films on DVD showing circus parade, city scenes, the set of the film Cleopatra starring Elizabeth Taylor for which Digger Pugh was animal director, training scene of tampolin act on an elephant outdoors with the elephant collapsing and struggling against the chains on his legs (this scene can be upseting), actors in costume, a religious pageant possibly in Spain and scene of a bull...
Dates: c1950 - 1959

Circus Films, c1950 - 1959

 Item
Reference code: 178D24.5
Scope and Contents

Copy of films on DVD showing trampolin scene, female tumbling and acrobatics, female aerial acts, a religious ceremony in a circus tent, a circus parade, equestrian act, foot juggling, wild animal acts, Chinese flag jumping act, dancing, slack rope act, trapeze, clowning, skating, military band, cycling act, rolling ball act, various animal acts, chair balancing act and knife throwing. Colour and black and white, silent.

Dates: c1950 - 1959

Circus Films, c1950 - 1959

 Item
Reference code: 178D24.6
Scope and Contents

Copy of film on DVD showing circus scenes outside the tent, circus parade, trampoline acts, female aerial acts, acrobatics, clowning, wild animal acts, equestrian acts, dancing, tumbling, slack rope act, animal performance, city views and tents and buildings for Circus Krone, Pinders and Billy Smart Circus. Colour, silent.

Dates: c1950 - 1959

Digger Pugh Collection

 Fonds
Reference code: NFA0179
Scope and Contents

Archive of the Digger Pugh family including newspaper cuttings, photographs, negatives, business records, programmes, research material, posters and films.

Dates: c1930 - 2010

Films, c1950 - 1959

 Series
Reference code: 178D24
Scope and Contents

Please notice that 178D24.4 contains scenes of animal cruelty and human fatalities. Copies of films on DVD format showing performers at various circus around the world, travelling scenes, scenic views, performers behind the scenes, film sets. Black and white and colour, sound.

Dates: c1950 - 1959