More stories of extraordinary women on the website Annette Kellerman was born on July 6, 1887 in Sydney. She had a great career as a swimmer and actress. She swam because she had polio as a child and her father enrolled her in a swimming pool to strengthen the muscles weakened by the disease. Initially, Annette really didn’t like this idea, she didn’t like taking off the heavy splints that she wore every day and which gave her a sense of security. However, it quickly turned out that my father’s idea was a bull’s-eye. The girl not only regained her fitness, but quickly began to become a successful swimmer.
Annette Kellerman’s first swimming successes
In her teens, Annette became a champion in the regional 100-yard freestyle swimming competition. And at the same time she broke the women’s world record over this distance, because she overcame it in an impressive time – one minute and twenty-two seconds. She went on to perform many other spectacular swimming feats. They included, among others: sailing along the Yarra River in central Melbourne, the London Thames and the Paris Seine. She was the first woman to attempt to swim the English Channel three times. She delighted in water ballet in the aquarium and took part in performances in which she played the role of a mermaid. At the same time as her swimming career, she developed her acting career. In addition to appearing in about 20 Hollywood films, she made history as the first actress to appear nude on screen. It was the film “Daughter of the Gods” from 1916, directed by Herbert Brenon.
Annette Kellerman (1887-1975), Australian professional swimmer and film star, in her famous swimsuit designed to enable serious competitive swimming, unlike conventional women’s swimsuits of the period. Kellerman was arrested for wearing this outfit to the beach in Boston Photo Wikimedia Commons/public domain, this work is from the George Grantham Bain collection at the Library of Congress
Much ado about the swimsuit
When Annette Kellerman began her swimming career, splashing in the water in tight, figure-flattering swimsuits was out of the question. Women had to enter the water in dresses and pantaloons. “Water is seven hundred times heavier than air, and any attempt to pull any kind of loose clothing through it is like wearing a biblical millstone around your neck,” she said in the guide she wrote, “How to Swim.” So Kellerman began to promote women’s one-piece swimming suits, which initially revealed only the shoulders, but carefully concealed the legs and cleavage. Over time, the woman gave up long trousers, which was a real moral scandal. And the beginnings were not easy.
One day in 1907, Annette appeared on Revere Beach, Massachusetts, wearing a body-hugging one-piece bathing suit. Beachgoers who noticed her were outraged by a woman behaving so “indecently”. They reported the matter to the police, who took the case to court. However, the woman convinced the judge that she had no bad intentions and that the “scandalous” outfit was necessary for the sport she had been practicing for a long time and in which she was successful. Annette managed to avoid prison. Women became more and more willing to wear the swimsuits she designed and quickly appreciated the comfort they provided. Annette Kellerman died on November 5, 1975 in Southport (Queensland). her ashes were scattered along the Great Barrier Reef.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
