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| Title | Helene Madison in nurse's uniform seated at desk, ca. 1936 |
| Photographer | Associated Press |
| Date | ca. 1936 |
| Caption | Helene Madison started swimming at Green Lake when she was 12 years old. At 19, she swept the women's freestyle swimming events in the 1932 Olympics. That year, she held all 16 women's world freestyle records and 56 American awards. When she returned to Seattle, the city presented her with a car, a Navy and Police escort and Seattle's largest ticker tape parade. Madison was unable to compete further in Olympic events due to some brief and unsuccessful professional endeavors. The challenges of two failed marriages, debt, diabetes and cancer filled Madison's later years in life.
This photograph portrays Madison around 1936, after her retirement from amateur competitive swimming. After a brief and unsuccessful career in entertainment and a confectionary stand job at Green Lake, Madison decided to enter training at Virginia Mason Hospital to pursue a career as a registered nurse. This photo shows Madison in her Virginia Mason uniform. |
| Notes | Stamped on verso: Associated Press Photo. |
| Subjects | Virginia Mason Medical Center; Nurses—Washington (State)—Seattle |
| Personal Names | Madison, Helene, 1913-1970 |
| Places | United States--Washington (State)--Seattle |
| Digital Collection | Museum of History & Industry Photograph Collection |
| Image Number | 1970.5051.77 |
| Ordering Information | To order a reproduction or to inquire about permissions contact photos@mohai.org or phone us at 206-324-1126. Please refer to the Image Number and provide a brief description of the photograph. |
| Credit Line | Helene Madison papers, Museum of History & Industry, Seattle; All Rights Reserved |
| Repository | Museum of History & Industry, Seattle (MOHAI). |
| Repository Collection | Helene Madison Papers |
| Type | Image |
| Physical Description | 1 photographic print: b&w; 8 x 10 in. |
| Digital Reproduction Information | Scanned from original photograph as 4350 pixel TIFF image in 24-bit RGB color, resized to 700 pixels in the longest dimension and compressed into JPEG format using Photoshop CS2. |
