Tennis Girl
Photographer: Martin Elliott
Date: September 1976
Location: University of Birmingham, England, UK
Martin Elliott photographed student and tennis player Fiona Butler walking on the tennis courts at the University of Birmingham (not Edgbaston Priory, as is sometimes cited) in September 1976, from behind, as she lifted the hem of her tennis dress to reveal she was wearing no underwear. Butler was around 18 years old at the time. The photograph was turned into one of the bestselling posters in British history by Athena, a poster retailer, and became a defining image of 1970s popular culture. The poster sold approximately 2 million copies. Butler's identity was kept secret for many years; she revealed herself publicly in 2003 in an interview with the Daily Mail, saying she had no regrets.
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