Tennis Girl bounces back
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Friday, 06, Jul 2007 12:01
One of the most iconic poster images of the last quarter of a century is going back on sale.
Tennis Girl, which has not been available to buy for 25 years, is being released as a limited-edition canvas print as the Wimbledon Championships reach their conclusion at the All England Club.
The poster of a blonde tennis player revealing her bare bottom was a top seller when Athena first produced it in 1976 and copies routinely sell for £300 a time on auction website eBay.
TV host Jonathan Ross has said Tennis Girl is the "nearest thing to a phenomenon to hit the poster world", while comedians Ricky Gervais and Frank Skinner have both recreated the poster themselves.
It is also reportedly the most published image in the world.
Ally Mayer, managing director at Pyramid Posters, which is releasing the limited edition print, described Tennis Girl as "one of the most famous images of all time".
"It has a huge following, which has grown enormously since it came off the market 25 years ago," she said.
"We are anticipating a huge demand for the canvas prints, from both Tennis Girl fans, old and new, and art collectors keen to make an investment."
The poster's creator Martin Elliott added: "People say this image is timeless, and while I'm not sure how long timeless lasts, over 30 years is a good start.
"Despite rumours circulating that the model was either male, or androgynous, I can confirm the image is as it seems.
"And, if I had a pound for every model that has laid claim to being the girl, and every photographer that has claimed they took the photo, I'd be a very rich man."
About 1,850 copies of the 60cm-by-80cm print are being released by Pyramid Posters.