This Woman’s One-piece Swimsuit Got Her Arrested In 1907

Famous swimmer Annette & the radical history of the swimsuit.

Annette Kellerman, the international star of her time — with her actions categorized as bold and rather risque, still did it all because of her commitment to women’s physical health.

Only a few women did things that Kellerman dared to do in public.

Over the last few years, the interest in this Edwardian star’s story has been renewed, and to make sure she will always be remembered, here are some of the most interesting facts about Annette Kellerman’s life.

Not Swimming Was Not A Choice For Annette Kellerman

Annette Kellerman was born in Sydney, Australia; she was a child born with a rather rare disease of rickets.

Kellerman’s legs were very weak as a child, and to help her with this, doctors recommended she wear painful steel braces till the time her bones and muscles were strong enough.

It was at the age of six that Kellerman’s parents enrolled her in swimming classes to further strengthen her legs.

However, it wasn’t as easy as they thought because Annette Kellerman just hated swimming.

But as we all know, soon Kellerman was so in love with water that it became the main reason for her fame.

The Girl Who Hated Swimming Set Records As a Competitive Swimmer

Kellerman’s legs were completely healed by the time she reached the age of 13. By the time she was 15, she had mastered all the swimming techniques and went on to become a skilled diver.

Annette Kellerman began her career as a competitive swimmer when she reached the age of 16 in 1902, and this is where she shined her brightest — setting records and winning the ladies’ 100-yards and mile championships.

Kellerman traveled with her father to England, where she attempted to cross the English Channel in the year 1905.

Even when her attempt was an unsuccessful one, she still made a record in covering ¾ of the distance in a record time of 10hr 30mins.

Her record for swimming underwater was almost three and a half minutes — when it came to competing against men, she had no doubts about that either, and it was often Kellerman who came out victorious.

Annette Kellerman Was Born To Be A Swimmer

Annette Kellerman gave swimming and diving demonstrations and lessons in addition to being a competitive swimmer.

She also performed as a mermaid at the Princess Court Entertainment Center later when she moved to Melbourne.

Whether it be swimming with the fishes at Exhibition Aquarium or diving from spectacular heights at Melbourne Theater, she has done it all.

Kellerman is also someone who made synchronized swimming popular, especially after she performed in front of a massive crowd at York Hippodrome in 1907.

Kellerman Changed The Way People Viewed Swimming And Swimwear

Swimming was not something that was really admired during the Edwardian or Victorian Eras.

People just could not swim no matter what, and surprisingly this includes sailors, and when we talk about swimsuits, well, they were more of an anchor than something that would help with swimming.

Annette Kellerman thought that this kind of clothing should be changed, and she took on all the societal decorum by appearing on Revere Beach in Boston in a one-piece swimsuit that she created by herself.

The suit bared Kellerman’s arms and legs, and this was just not acceptable during those days. Surprisingly enough, Kellerman was arrested for indecency.

The Kellerman swimsuit is now credited as the symbol of freedom for every woman — the Kellerman didn’t let her arrest down her morals or courage by any means, and she went on to design and manufacture her own Kellerman bathing suits collection, which was admired by a wide range of market.

Annette Kellerman believed that the acceptance of her bathing suit collection was her greatest achievement out of all the others.

She believed the suits celebrated the natural form of beauty in every woman and made a statement that the unadorned body was gorgeous on its own and should be boldly displayed and admired.

Her fashion influenced a lot during the 1920s — with her line of swimwear a hit, Kellerman moved on to design and market a self-created shirt dress.

This dress was an ankle-high loose fitting garment that left quite a mark on the fashion industry, especially in the 1920s.

Kellerman Was the First Major Actor To Do A Nude Scene

Annette Kellerman had a very successful career in Vaudeville, where she played the role of Diving Venus and Australian Mermaid — Kellerman also acted in movies made in Hollywood.

Her career had an aquatic theme to it, and this is what she really preferred.

Her first movie was Neptune’s Daughter, which she did in 1914 — this movie was later remade by Esther Williams, who was another famous female swimmer.

Esther Williams also appeared as Annette Kellerman in a biography film Million Dollar Mermaid.

Kellerman’s most controversial film was the one in which she didn’t hesitate to bare it all — A Daughter Of The Gods was the movie where she appeared nude.

The popular shot showed her with her long locks decisively placed on the parts of her body.

Annette Was Regarded As A Perfect Woman Of Her Time

A girl who started her life with braces became the perfect-looking woman of her time.

This is known because, in 1908, a professor at Harvard compared thousands of women to those of Annette Kellerman.

Final Words

Annette Kellerman was a woman who committed her life to making the lives of other women easier.

She made sure she removed every obstacle out of our way, especially the kind she had to go through.

Annette will always be remembered as a woman who didn’t let anything stop her, and because of this, she will always be a source of inspiration for all of us.

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