On this day in 1973, tennis stars Robby Riggs, U.S. champion from the 1930’s and ‘40’s, and Australian Margaret Court faced off in a $10,000 winner-take-all “battle of the sexes” challenge match. Court lost to Riggs and Riggs went on to challenge Bill Jean King to a $100,000 winner-take-all match, an event dubbed “the libber vs. the lobber.” King beat Riggs in three sets.
This Double T (or Four T’s) quilt was pieced by Leta S. Melvin and quilted by Nettie S. Merritt , Cora S. Pyson and Harriet Smith in White Lake, North Carolina around 1905. The quilt was made as a wedding gift. The top includes printed fabric featuring a tennis raquet and paddle, and the piece is hand quilted. The quilt is now owned by the North Carolina Museum of History.
View this quilt on The Quilt Index to find out! Read more about its history, design and construction. Be sure to use the zoom tool for a detailed view or click the “See full record” link to see a larger image and all the data entered about that quilt.
Source:
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-battle-of-the-sexes
Posted by Amy E. Milne
Executive Director, Quilt Alliance
amy.milne@quiltalliance.org