National Portrait Gallery
American Winners: Athletes and Entertainers Who Shaped the Nation
September 26, 2025 – September 7, 2026
Athletic performance and creative expression are hallmarks of the American experience. The stories of talented individuals taking to the field or gracing center stage have connected us for centuries. When we learn about the grit of those defying gravity, breaking records, or dazzling audiences, we are reminded of our national character and shared humanity. American Winners salutes a diverse array of athletes and entertainers by presenting more than fifty works from the National Portrait Gallery’s permanent collection.
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.
Gertrude Caroline Ederle, 23 Oct 1906 - 30 Nov 2003. Photograph by Underwood & Underwood, active 1880 - c. 1950. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
