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Life magazine featuring first professional women skateboarder, Patti McGee

American History Museum

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Object Details

depicted

McGee, Patti Villa

referenced

Life Magazine

Description (Brief)

Life magazine with a color photograph of the first professional women's skateboarder, Patti McGee doing a handstand on a skateboard, May 14, 1965. The magazine was autographed by McGee at the Innoskate event held at the museum, June 22, 2013, "Thank You. Its an honor to be included here at the Smithsonian. Patti SHOF 2010, God Bless." In 1964, McGee became the first female to win the National Skateboard Championships and achieved another first in 1965 as she became the first female pro skateboarder. Patti went on to appear on the television show “What’s My Line” and “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson after being featured on the cover of Life magazine in May of 1965. She was also the only woman to be featured on a skateboard magazine cover when she appeared on the October 1965 issue of Skateboarder Magazine. In 2010, McGee was the first woman to be inducted into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame and was a worldwide ambassador for the skateboarding world until her passing in 2024.

Location

Currently not on view

date made

1965

ID Number

2013.0130.03

accession number

2013.0130

catalog number

2013.0130.03

Object Name

magazine, skateboarding
magazine

Physical Description

paper (overall material)

Measurements

overall: 13 3/4 in x 10 1/2 in; 34.925 cm x 26.67 cm

See more items in

Culture and the Arts: Sport and Leisure

Data Source

National Museum of American History

name of sport

skateboarding

web subject

Sports
Journalism
Women

level of sport

Professional

Metadata Usage

CC0

Link to Original Record

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746b4-0a66-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Record ID

nmah_1448124

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