William Fletcher - A Life

The subject of this biography is best known today from the Vanity Fair print of 1893 by 'Spy' (Leslie Ward), in which the twenty-three year old William A. L. Fletcher (1869-1919) stands in his Oxford Blues blazer and lettered sweater, legs apart, hands in pockets, tiny cap on head, gazing out directly at the reader, the master of all he surveys. In this striking caricature, the artist has captured the affable firmness of purpose which characterised Fletcher's life. In his time, William Fletcher was one of the giants of the rowing world, whose guts and determination also brought him distinction and respect both on the river and on the battlefield. He deserves to be remembered. from the foreword by Professor Boris Rankov