Leslie Ward ('Spy') renders cricketer C. M. Wells in profile, dressed in cream flannels, a cream sweater with a striped collar, and a dark blue cap — the full late-Victorian batting and bowling kit. Wells cradles a red cricket ball in both hands, mid-stride, as though returning to his mark. The caption reads "Father" with his name appended below, a nickname suggesting either seniority in the dressing room or a reputation for paternalistic authority over younger players. Ward's caricature is mild: the moustache is slightly thickened, the jaw squared, the posture gently self-important — the Spy formula of affectionate mockery aimed squarely at the English gentleman amateur.
About this artifact
- Creator
- Leslie Ward
- Date
- 10 July 1907
- Rights
- Public domain — free to view, share, and reuse.
- Restoration
- Digitally restored and hosted by ComicBooks.com.
Part of our mission to preserve and restore the public-domain heritage of the medium.