George Fordham

A carte-de-visite portrait of George Fordham (1837-1887), the hugely successful British flat racing jockey. He was Champion Jockey every year between 1855 and 1863, as well as four other occasions in his own right and once as joint champion. He then won the Derby in 1879, won the Oaks five times, and the Grand Prix de Paris three times. His career high was 165 wins in 1862. In 1910 the New York Times described him as ‘one of the greatest jockeys of all-time.’ He left an estate valued at £19,903.

According to his entry in the Dictionary of National Biography: ‘He was extremely reticent on horse-racing, had a deep aversion to gambling of all kinds, and ever showed the greatest anxiety to keep his son from being in any way associated with the turf. His own career was scrupulously honourable.’

Photographed and location unidentified.

This is presumably a pirated copy of the 'almost full face' portrait of Fordham for which the photographer Eugenio Martinucci Lombardi entered copyright papers at Stationers' Hall on 12 August 1878.