- Tennis Girl
The Tennis Girl
poster is a hugely popular [http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1052912007 The Scotsman] Fergus Sheppard. "70s poster icon is back, so anyone for Tennis Girl?" (6 July 2007 ] iconic poster. [http://www.pyramidposters.com/tennisgirlcanvas Pyramid Posters] (the current publishers)] It shows a young woman from behind walking towards the net of atennis court with atennis racquet in her right hand and her left hand reaching behind lifting her short tennis dress, showing she is not wearing any underwear.The photograph was taken by Martin Elliott in September 1976 and features then-18-year-old Fiona Butler, his girlfriend at the time. [http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=56026 www.metro.co.uk] "That poster is back - at £300 a print! (
July 5 2007 )"] The photo was taken atBirmingham University ,Edgbaston ,Birmingham , using a borrowed dress, racquet and balls. [http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/mail/news/tm_headline=we-ve-got-to-the-bottom-of-a-poster-mystery&method=full&objectid=19444033&siteid=50002-name_page.html Birmingham mail] Will Oliphant. "We've got to the bottom of a poster mystery!" (July 12 2007 )]History
The poster was first published as part of a calendar by Athena for the 1977 Silver Jubilee, the same year
Virginia Wade achieved the Wimbledon ladies singles title. [http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/sundaymercury/features/tm_objectid=17216626&method=full&siteid=50002&headline=serial-killer-s-deucey-poster-name_page.html#story_continue Sunday Mercury] Adam Aspinall. "Serial killer's deucey poster" (June 11 2006 )]The poster achieved widespread distribution when licenced to the poster shop Athena [http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4028632,00.html www.guardian.co.uk] Charlotte Raven. "The opposite of sexy" (
June 13 2000 )] in 1978 where it sold for £2. It sold about 2 million copies by the time Athena collapsed in the early 2000s.The model Fiona Butler has stated "I'm not at all embarrassed about that photo."
Popularity and parody
The image is much sought after by collectors and celebrities including
Jonathan Ross andRicky Gervais .Over the years the picture has been parodied by various people as diverse as
Alan Carr [http://www.karljkaul.com/images/newimg/031207/ACARR-01c.jpg] andKylie Minogue .References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
