C.W.V. Clarke, Walker, from World's Champions, Second Series (N43) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1888

This is a trade card featuring C.W.V. Clarke, a walker, from the *World’s Champions* series published in 1888 by Allen & Ginter for their brand of cigarettes. The card, which is part of the collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, features a portrait of Clarke wearing a white jersey with a red diamond-shaped pattern, and a decorative background featuring imagery of athletic figures. The card includes a caption with his name, his sport, and his record-breaking time for a 3 mile walk. This type of advertising card was widely popular in the late 19th century, particularly in America. They were distributed as inserts in cigarette packages, and collectors often kept them in albums.