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Gertrude Ederle

Gertrude Ederle
Artist
Underwood & Underwood, active 1880 - c. 1950
Sitter
Gertrude Caroline Ederle, 23 Oct 1906 - 30 Nov 2003
Date
1925
Type
Photograph
Medium
Gelatin silver print
Dimensions
Image: 18.8 × 23.9 cm (7 3/8 × 9 7/16")
Sheet: 20.3 × 25.6 cm (8 × 10 1/16")
Mat: 35.6 × 45.7 cm (14 × 18")
Topic
Vehicle\Ship
Nature & Environment\Water\Ocean
Exterior\Landscape\Coastal
Vehicle\Boat
Equipment\Sports Equipment\Oar
Vehicle\Boat\Kayak
Gertrude Caroline Ederle: Female
Gertrude Caroline Ederle: Sports and Recreation\Athlete\Swimmer
Gertrude Caroline Ederle: Olympic medal
Portrait
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Object number
NPG.80.230
Exhibition Label
Born New York City
Gertrude Ederle was the first woman to swim across the English Channel. During a time when female athletes were not taken seriously, Ederle proved critics wrong. In 1924 she competed at the Olympic games, where she won a gold medal in the 400-meter freestyle relay and bronze medals in the 100 and 400-meter freestyle races. By 1925, Ederle had set twenty-nine world records in women’s freestyle swimming, and she began training to cross the twenty-one-mile-wide English Channel. On August 6, 1926, in strong, choppy waters, she successfully swam across the channel, clocking a time of fourteen hours and thirty-one minutes for thirty-five miles. Despite swimming extra miles, Ederle beat the record time by two hours. When she paused occasionally to accept nourishment, concerned observers asked her if she wanted to come out. She responded, “What for?”
Data Source
National Portrait Gallery
Location
Currently not on view