The family of Gertrude “Trudy” Ederle decided to personally entrust the swimmer’s 100-year-old original scrapbook to ISHOF into the care of Historian Bruce Wigo — a milestone on the road to the centennial swim on August 6, 2026. Trudy had a long history with ISHOF, giving some of her most cherished possessions to the museum, while she was alive and keeping a close friendship with original founding Executive Director, Buck Dawson and Curator Bob Duenkel for many years.
“It is one of the most significant private documents in the history of swimming”, said Tobias Kolesnyk, Director Strategic Communication of the Trudy Ederle Foundation.
Earlier this month, Mary Ederle Ward, Trudy’s niece, officially presented Ederle’s original scrapbook to the International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) into the hands of Bruce Wigo, ISHOF Historian and the institution’s longtime President and CEO (2005–2017), together with his wife Janet. The couple traveled from Florida especially for the occasion — to the place where the scrapbook’s journey into the heritage of world swimming now begins.
The large-format album, bound in black leather, bears a gold-embossed inscription: “Gertrude ‘Trudy’ Ederle — World’s Champion Swimmer — Conqueror of the English Channel — August 6, 1926.” It holds original newspaper clippings and documents from the days when a 19-year-old New Yorker made history.
On August 6, 1926, Trudy Ederle became the first woman to successfully cross the English Channel. Her time: 14 hours and 34 minutes — roughly two hours faster than the men’s record of the day. She returned home to America to the largest ticker-tape parade to fill to streets of lower Manhattan. Two million people lined the “Canyon of Heroes” to get a glimpse of Ederle and to celebrate her milestone. It was the first time a tickertape was celebrated for a woman. And now 100 years on, we will once again celebrate Trudy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84fYnCEVfJI
As for the scrapbook, for nearly a century, the Ederle family kept this album in private hands. That it now passes to the world’s leading institution for swimming heritage — just weeks before the 100th anniversary — is sheer coincidence. “The family entrusting this treasure to ISHOF is more than a gift. It is a promise to the future: Trudy’s story belongs to the world,” said Tobias Kolesnyk, Director Strategic Communication of the Gertrude Ederle Foundation. ISHOF plans to highlight this treasure in our new museum (opening late 2028) as one of the most culturally significant artifacts of the women’s rights movement of the early 20th century.
ISHOF and The Foundation will share further details about the legendary scrapbook, its contents, and its plans for the 100th anniversary of the Channel crossing at a later date. Both ISHOF and the Foundation plan to be in Dover, England on the 100th Anniversary of Trudy’s Crossing (August 6, 1926) to celebrate the remarkable achievement.
ISHOF also plans to be in Highlands, New Jersey for “Trudyfest”, along with Mary Ederle Ward to celebrate “Trudy” which will be celebrated on August 15, 2026.
Stayed tuned for all things “Trudy”.