Vest, worn by Mr. Frick: Museum Object and Cultural History
Vest, worn by Mr. Frick: user: Werner Fritz Groebli. Object Name: vest. Object Name: vest, ice skating.
The object in the museum catalogue
Werner Groebli, “Mr. Frick” of the legendary ice skating duo of “Frick and Frack”, wore this costume during performances with the Shipstads and Johnson Ice Follies. Werner, who liked to be addressed as “Mr. Frick”, began skating as a child while living in Switzerland. In 1934, he won the Swiss junior figure skating championship but soon teamed up with his partner of over 20 years, Hans-Rudi Mauch, “Mr. Frack”. Believing theatrical comedy was “low class,” they used the name “Frick and Frack” to shield their families from any embarrassment. Mr. Frick was most famous for his spread eagle cantilever move where he would perform an inside spread eagle with his feet pointing inward and leaning backward all at the same time. Not an easy feat!
Materials, dates and provenance
- user: Werner Fritz Groebli
- Object Name: vest
- Object Name: vest, ice skating
- Physical Description: velvet (overall material)
- Physical Description: metal (overall material)
- Physical Description: plastic (overall material)
- Measurements: overall: 53 cm x 52 cm; 20 7/8 in x 20 15/32 in
- web subject: Sports
- name of sport: Ice Skating
- web subject: Vaudeville
- level of sport: Professional
- web subject: Entertainment
- ID Number: 2003.0105.01
- accession number: 2003.0105
- catalog number: 2003.0105.01
- Data Source: National Museum of American History
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Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.
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