Photo of a Mowing Champion, ca. 1927

An original photograph by Fotograms of New York City. The back contains the pasted typewriter text:

PLEASE CREDIT
FOTOGRAMS, N.Y.

CHAMPION GIRL SCYTHE SLINGER CUTS WIDE SWATH.

HELEN BERNABY, CHAMPION GIRL SCYTHE SLINGER.
19 YEARS OLD, WAS UNTIL A DAY OR TWO AGO, WAS
CHAMPION MOWER OF NEW HAMPSHIRE, EVEN OVER ALL THE
MEN,
THIS YEAR, A 65-YEAR OLD VETERAN WITH GNARLED HANDS,
THAT HAVE BEEN TRAINED IN THE SHUFFLING SWING OF
A SCYTHE THREE TIMES AS LONG AS HELEN’S REDEEMED
THE RPIDE [sic] OF MASCULINE NEW HAMPSHIRE, BY DEFEATING
HELEN,
HELEN IS AN ALL-ROUND ATHLETE, AND SHE HOPES TO TURN THE TABLES NEXT YEAR.

The year prior to when this photo was taken, a New York Times article was written celebrating her victory. Be forewarned that the article is “of its time” and contains remarks that reflect the then-present biases against her Italian heritage. This original photo appears to have received some artistic enhancement to compensate for the brightness and contrast of the negative, having outlines painted in to enhance the edges of the collar, her arm, and folds of her garments, as well as the top of her head.

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