Two athletes

Francis Richardson Cross and Charles Edward Weston


A carte-de-visite portrait of two medical students at King's College, London; the two young men competed against each other in June 1870 at the annual meeting of the University Hospitals Athletic Club.

The taller of the two men is Francis Richardson Cross (1848-1931), who was later an eminent ophthalmologist and for 44 years a surgeon at the Eye Hospital in Bristol.

His friend on the right is Charles Edward Weston (1849-1896), who became a GP at Wargrave in Berkshire.

At the athletics meeting in June 1870, Weston, despite being the shorter of the two men, beat Cross in the 100 yards sprint, but by only six inches.

Although the printed credit in the lower margin identifies Charles B. Taylor of London as the photographer, the photograph was in fact taken by Hills and Saunders of London.


 


Code: 126583
© Paul Frecker 2024