Pair of white figure skates worn by Debi Thomas
date: label: Date
content: 1980s
name: label: Worn by
content: Dr. Debra Janine Thomas, American, born 1967
label: Created by
content: Harlick Skating Boots, American, founded 1935
label: Manufactured by
content: MK Blades, American
notes: label: Caption
content: Debi Thomas is the 1986 World Figure Skating Champion, a two-time U.S. National Figure Skating Champion, and the 1988 Olympic bronze medalist. Thomas was the first African American to win a medal at the Winter Olympics when she won bronze in the Ladies’ Singles Figure Skating in Calgary in 1988.
label: Description
content: A pair of white figure skates worn by Debi Thomas. The top of the skates reach the shin and the boot has a rounded toe. The boots are made of a white leather. There are four white (4) metal hooks for tying the laces on either side of the tongue. These are followeed by eleven (11) shoelace holes on either side, going down towards the toe. The white laces are made of cotton and have plastic aglets on the ends. There is white stitching on the boot- around the top, around the shoelace holes, down the middle of the toe, and down the center of the back, on either side of an extra leather panel.
label: Description
content: The tops of the boots and the tongues are padded with foam. Each skate has a manufacturer's label inside the top of the boot at the inner opening. It is a black label with gold script reading "Harlick Custom Made", accompanied by the image of a figure skate. All parts of the label are made with thread. The word [FIGURE] is printed in black ink near the label. The name [DEBI THOMAS] is written in black marker inside the top of the boot at the exterior opening.
label: Description
content: The soles of the skates are made of a reddish brown wood and have a 1 1/2 inch heel. There appears to be a word or letters carved down the center of the sole of both skates. The last letter on both skates appears to be a "P".
label: Description
content: The steel blades are attached to the wooden soles with screws. There are eight (8) on skate a. and nine (9) on skate b. It aooears as if several are issing from each skate. The numbers "9 1'3" are etched into the piece of steel near the front of the skates. This is the length of the skate from toe to heel. The words [MADE IN ENGLAND] and [SHEFFIELD STEEL] are etched on the other side of each blade, near the front of the skate, with the logo "MK" in a circle. The words [Gold Test] are etched in script near the back of each blade. The letters "CF" are etched between the two words.
place: label: Place used
content: United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Athletes
label: Topic
content: Clothing and dress
label: Topic
content: Figure skating
label: Topic
content: Sports
label: Topic
content: Women
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Clothing - Fashion and Historical
label: Classification
content: Clothing - Sports Uniforms
label: Classification
content: Clothing - Costume
label: Exhibition
content: Sports: Leveling the Playing Field
label: On View
content: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Community/Third Floor, 3 052
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Debra Janine Thomas
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2016.38.2ab
objectType: label: Type
content: ice skates
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No Known Copyright Restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: leather, cotton, plastic, foam, wood, and steel
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (a - left): 9 1/2 × 3 9/16 × 11 1/2 in. (24.1 × 9 × 29.2 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (a - left (cloth cover)): 2 1/2 × 1 × 13 1/2 in. (6.4 × 2.5 × 34.3 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (b - right): 9 1/2 × 3 1/2 × 11 1/2 in. (24.1 × 8.9 × 29.2 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (b - right (cloth cover)): 2 1/2 × 1 × 12 3/4 in. (6.4 × 2.5 × 32.4 cm)