Skip to main content Skip to main navigation
heart-solid My Visit Donate
Home Smithsonian Institution IK development site for ODI
Press Enter to activate a submenu, down arrow to access the items and Escape to close the submenu.
    • Overview
    • Museums and Zoo
    • Entry and Guidelines
    • Museum Maps
    • Dine and Shop
    • Accessibility
    • Visiting with Kids
    • Group Visits
    • Overview
    • Exhibitions
    • Online Events
    • All Events
    • IMAX & Planetarium
    • Overview
    • Topics
    • Collections
    • Research Resources
    • Stories
    • Podcasts
    • Overview
    • For Caregivers
    • For Educators
    • For Students
    • For Academics
    • For Lifelong Learners
    • Overview
    • Become a Member
    • Renew Membership
    • Make a Gift
    • Volunteer
    • Overview
    • Our Organization
    • Our Leadership
    • Reports and Plans
    • Newsdesk
heart-solid My Visit Donate

Helen Wills Moody

Portrait Gallery

This media is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Open Access page.
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
View manifest View in Mirador Viewer

    Object Details

    Artist

    Edward McCartan, 16 Aug 1879 - 20 Sep 1947

    Sitter

    Helen Wills Moody, 6 Oct 1905 - 1 Jan 1998

    Exhibition Label

    Born Centerville, California
    Playing with a steely determination that earned her the nickname “Little Miss Poker Face,” tennis great Helen Wills Moody became the first American woman athlete to achieve international fame. Only seventeen when she won her first U.S. singles championship in 1923, Moody dominated women’s tennis for more than a decade and elevated the sport to a new competitive level with her hard-hitting style of play.
    Nacida en Centerville, California
    La férrea determinación con que jugaba la gran tenista Helen Wills Moody le ganó el apodo de Carita de Póker y la convirtió en la primera mujer atleta estadounidense de fama internacional. Tenía diecisiete años cuando ganó su primer campeonato de sencillos en EE.UU. en 1923, y dominó el tenis femenino por más de una década, elevando dicho deporte a nuevos niveles competitivos con su contundente estilo de juego.

    Provenance

    (Allison Gallery); purchased NPG 1999

    Credit Line

    National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution

    Date

    1936

    Object number

    NPG.99.3

    Restrictions & Rights

    CC0

    Type

    Sculpture

    Medium

    Terra cotta

    Dimensions

    With Base: 42.5 x 16.5 x 21cm (16 3/4 x 6 1/2 x 8 1/4")
    Base: 14.9 x 15.2cm (5 7/8 x 6")

    See more items in

    National Portrait Gallery Collection

    Exhibition

    American Winners: Athletes and Entertainers Who Shaped the Nation

    On View

    NPG, West Gallery 240

    Data Source

    National Portrait Gallery

    Topic

    Helen Wills Moody: Arts and Culture\Visual Arts\Artist
    Helen Wills Moody: Female
    Helen Wills Moody: Sports\Athlete\Tennis
    Helen Wills Moody: Arts and Culture\Literature\Writer\Sports writer
    Helen Wills Moody: Athletics awards\Olympic medal
    Portrait

    Metadata Usage

    CC0

    Link to Original Record

    http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm45cd36fad-ce6a-4e39-9b25-5f2a707e1750

    Record ID

    npg_NPG.99.3

    Discover More

    woman swimming

    Game Changers: American Women Athletes Who Made History

    arrow-up Back to top
    Home
    • Facebook facebook
    • Instagram instagram
    • LinkedIn linkedin
    • YouTube youtube

    • Contact Us
    • Get Involved
    • Shop Online
    • Job Opportunities
    • Equal Opportunity
    • Inspector General
    • Records Requests
    • Accessibility
    • Host Your Event
    • Press Room
    • Privacy
    • Terms of Use