Object ID:
2021.3.13
Label/Maker:
ARTHUS BERTRANO PARIS
Date:
1993
Object Details:
Designed and worn to bring awareness to the AIDS epidemic and honor the life of Arthur Ashe, this pin makes a strong statement. Ashe was a professional Africian American tennis player from Richmond, Virginia and the first and only black man to win Wimbledon. He passed away on February 6, in 1993 due to AIDS related pneumonia. The pin features gold plating with red enamel and the AIDS bow logo embellished with a yellow tennis ball. This design was the ONLY approved pin worn by officials on their uniforms during match play.
Reference:
Commemorative Pin Honoring Arthur Ashe who was an American Professional Tennis Player, 1993Cultural Connections:
Arthur Ashe continues to be highly revered having won numerous Grand Slam titles. He started playing tennis at 7 years old and retired at 37, after suffering a heart attack. Ashe's battle with the AIDS virus, caused by a blood transfusion, created awareness and brought attention to others struggling with the disease. The Arthur Ashe Aids Awareness Foundation was created in 1992 for research into treating, curing, and preventing this devastating illness. Mary Lou Tierney continued to wear this pin throughout the remainder of her career in honor of a great man who contributed so much to tennis and humanity.(see photo on the third exhibition page from the French Open)
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1993 Arthur Ashe Aids Commemorative Pin
1993 Arthur Ashe Aids Commemorative Pin