Marv Beardsley, Champion Long Distance Rider, from the Champions of Games and Sports series (N184, Type 2) issued by W.S. Kimball & Co. 1887

This is a trade card of Marv Beardsley, Champion Long Distance Rider, printed by W.S. Kimball & Co. The card is divided into two registers, each depicting a likeness of Beardsley. At the top, a bust portrait is rendered with a granular texture. Note the striking geometry of Beardsley's cap, the clear angles of which offer a crisp contrast to the more softly rendered flesh tones of his face. Below, a smaller image shows him riding his horse. There’s an interesting use of scale here, the champion rendered in a way that almost suggests a double exposure. The composition reflects a duality, not just in its subject but also formally. What does it mean to represent an individual through a composite of images? Perhaps it speaks to the multifaceted nature of identity, or how fame itself is constructed through layers of representation.