A young male rower seated in a racing shell occupies the full frame of this cabinet card, produced by Hearn of Portland, Maine. The photographer has composed the image against a painted backdrop depicting open water and a cloudy sky, creating the illusion of an active race in progress. The mount's recto imprint appears in gold script at the lower left, consistent with studio presentation of the 1880s and early 1890s.

The subject wears a sleeveless athletic jersey and short trousers with tall white socks, his bare arms muscular and lean. He grips a single sculling oar with both hands at the catch position, knees bent and body coiled forward, while the oarlock hardware and sliding seat rails are clearly rendered beneath him. His expression is direct and composed, gaze turned toward the camera with quiet confidence.

Hearn was an active Portland, Maine photographer during the latter decades of the nineteenth century, and this image reflects the period's growing enthusiasm for sport photography as a genre worthy of formal studio treatment.

The reverse bears pencil notations reading "2/06/07" and "DOF61x," along with an initialed mark.

From the collection of James Lee Soffer