Photo of the Week – June 1, 2012

This week’s photo celebrates the opening of Roland Garros (the French Open) with a photograph of Lili de Alvarez. Born in 1905, Alvarez was a Spanish tennis champion as well as a feminist and writer. A natural born competitor, she was 14 when she won her first tennis championship. During the 1920s Alvarez rose to fame, reaching three consecutive singles finals at Wimbledon between 1926 and 1928 and winning the singles title at the Italian Championships in 1930. In this photograph, taken at le Stade de Roland Garros in 1931, she flaunts the avant-garde divided tennis skirt that was created by Italian designer Elsa Schiaparelli. Upon first wearing it at Wimbledon in 1931, Alvarez shocked the tennis world, but this split skirt was in fact a precursor to shorts.   This work (Stade Roland Garros : Melle Alvarez avec sa jupe-culotte : / Agence Meurisse), via Gallica.bnf.fr) is free of known copyright restrictions.   Subscribe for FREE weekly newsletters. BonjourParis has been a leading France travel and French lifestyle site since 1995.     Readers’ Favorites: Top 100 Books, imports & more at our Amazon store We update our daily selections, including the newest available with an Amazon.com pre-release discount of 30% or more. Find them by starting here at the back of the Travel section, then work backwards page by page in sections that interest you. Current favorites, including bestselling Roger&Gallet unisex fragrance Extra Vieielle Jean-Marie Farina….please click on an image for details.               Click on this banner to link to Amazon.com & your purchases support our site….merci! <br>