Best-selling photo in history: naked tennis player (2 photos)
"Tennis Player" is one of the best-selling photographs in history.
The photo was taken in early September 1976. In the frame, Fiona Butler is Elliott's eighteen-year-old girlfriend at the time.
The photo itself was not taken by chance; Martin Elliott asked his girlfriend, who had not previously played tennis, to change into her uniform and pose for him on the court. During filming, the model lifted her skirt to show that she was not wearing underwear.
The image, quite ordinary by today's standards, caused a stir when art retailer Athena released it as part of a calendar to mark Elizabeth II's silver jubilee. As a result, the calendar sold more than two million copies.
The photo brought wealth to Martin Elliott, but hindered his future career. Retailers were wary of collaborating with him because... it was assumed that his commission would be too high.
Elliott died in the spring of 2010. Fiona Butler, who did not receive any royalties from the sale of the calendar, eventually married a millionaire, and said that she was not at all embarrassed by the photo shoot and did not regret not receiving money.
