A male performer stands in full-length pose for this albumen CDV produced by Wm. L. Spedden, successor to W. T. Welden, at No. 65 W. Baltimore Street, Baltimore, Maryland. The image dates to the 1860s based on the mount style and studio imprint. The subject's muscular build and theatrical costume mark him unmistakably as a circus acrobat, wrestler, or stage athlete.

He wears a close-fitting white long-sleeved top with arms crossed firmly at the chest, a large decorative rosette pinned at the sternum, and a diamond-pattern harlequin skirt with bold contrasting trim at the waistband. White tights and lace-up ankle boots with squared toes complete the performance costume. His dark curly hair is worn long and swept back, and his expression is direct and unsmiling, projecting a deliberate air of physical authority.

The CDV format was widely used by performers throughout the 1860s as a form of publicity and personal branding, distributed to audiences and collectors as a souvenir of the entertainer.

The reverse bears the printed imprint of Wm. L. Spedden, No. 65 W. Baltimore Street, Baltimore, Md., with the notation "Negative retained. Duplicates can be had at any time by sending the Number." The negative number field is left blank.

From the collection of James Lee Soffer