William Cummings, Runner, from World's Champions, Series 2 (N29) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1888

Allen & Ginter’s chromolithograph of William Cummings, a Scottish runner, hails from a series made for cigarette cards. In the late 19th century, such cards captured public fascination with athleticism and celebrity, while simultaneously serving commercial interests. Cards like these reflect the Victorian era’s complex relationship with the body, where athleticism was both celebrated and carefully managed. The focus on Cummings’ physique, presented bare-chested, speaks to the idealization of the male form. Yet, it also reinforces the idea of a body honed for performance, disciplined within the constraints of competitive sport. It's worth thinking about how this intersects with class; the leisure to pursue such physical excellence was often a privilege. Cummings himself would have navigated the expectations of both a working-class background and the emerging world of professional sports. His image, mass-produced and circulated, contributed to the commodification of the athlete’s identity, turning personal achievements into a public spectacle. This tension between individual identity and public image remains potent today, as we consider the pressures and representations of athletes in contemporary media.