Annette Marie Sarah Kellermann (6 July 1887 – 6 November 1975) was an Australian professional swimmer,

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

star, film actress, and writer. Kellermann was one of the first women to wear a one-piece bathing costume, instead of the then-accepted

pantaloons Pantaloon (from Italian Pantalone), is a traditional greedy merchant character in 16th-century Italian Commedia dell'arte. Pantaloon or Pantaloons may also refer to: Theatre * Pantaloon, a character in the ''Harlequinade'' ** Pantaloons, a style ...

, and inspired others to follow her example. Kellerman's swimming costumes became so popular that she started her own fashion line of one-piece bathing suits. Kellermann helped popularize the sport of

synchronised swimming Synchronized swimming (in British English, synchronised swimming) or artistic swimming is a sport where swimmers perform a synchronized choreographed routine, accompanied by music. The sport is governed internationally by FINA (the ''Fédératio ...

, and authored a swimming manual. She appeared in several movies, usually with aquatic themes, and as the star of the 1916 film '' A Daughter of the Gods'' was the first major actress to appear nude in a Hollywood production. Kellermann was an advocate of health, fitness, and natural beauty throughout her life.

Early life

Annette Kellermann (frequently recorded as "Kellerman") was born in

Marrickville, New South Wales Marrickville is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Marrickville is located south-west of the Sydney central business district and is the largest suburb in the Inner West Council local government ...

, Australia, on 6 July 1887, to Australian-born violinist Frederick William Kellermann, and his French wife, Alice Ellen Charbonnet, a pianist and music teacher. At the age of six, a weakness in Kellermann's legs necessitated the wearing of steel braces to strengthen them. To further overcome her

disability Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, ...

, her parents enrolled her in swimming classes at Cavill's Baths, a tidal swimming pool in the North Sydney suburb of

Lavender Bay Lavender Bay is a harbourside suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Lavender Bay is located 3 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of North Sydney Council. The s ...

. By the age of 13, her legs were practically normal, and by 15, she had mastered all the swimming strokes and won her first race. At this time she was also giving diving displays.

Swimming career

In 1902, Kellermann won the ladies' 100 yards and mile championships of

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

in the record times of 1 minute, 22 seconds and 33 minutes, 49 seconds respectively. In that same year, her parents decided to move to

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, and she was enrolled at Mentone Girls' Grammar School, where her mother had accepted a music teaching position. During her time at school, Kellermann gave exhibitions of swimming and diving at the main Melbourne baths, performed a mermaid act at Princes Court entertainment centre, and did two shows a day swimming with fish in a glass tank at the Exhibition Aquarium. In June and July 1903, she performed sensational high dives in the Coogee scene of Bland Holt's spectacular, ''

The Breaking of the Drought ''The Breaking of the Drought'' is a 1920 Australian silent film from director Franklyn Barrett based on the popular play by Bland Holt and Arthur Shirley. According to Graham Phillips, this film is one of the most damaged films in Australia's f ...

'', at the Melbourne Theatre Royal. Kellermann and

Beatrice Kerr Beatrice Maude Williams (née Kerr; 30 November 1887 – 3 August 1971), known professionally as Beatrice Kerr, was an Australian swimmer, diver, and aquatic performer. Born in Melbourne, Kerr learnt to swim at Albert Park Lake, and won medal ...

, who was billed as "Australia's Champion Lady Swimmer and Diver", were rivals, although Kerr's public challenges to Kellermann to meet in a competitive race went unanswered. On 24 August 1905, aged 19, Kellermann was one of the first women to attempt to swim the

English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" ( Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), ( Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Ka ...

. After three unsuccessful swims she declared, "I had the endurance but not the brute strength." The first woman to attempt a Channel crossing had been Austrian Baroness

Walburga von Isacescu Walpurga von Isacescu (''c.'' 1870 – after 1911), also seen as Walburga von Isacescu, was an Austrian swimmer, the first woman athlete to attempt a swim across the English Channel. Swimming career Walpurga von Isacescu attempted to swim across ...

, in September 1900. She had made a previous effort the month before alongside

Ted Heaton Edmund Caunce Nowell 'Ted' Heaton (late 1872 – 19 September 1937) was a British Diving (sport), diver and swimming instructor born in Liverpool, England. He is notable for his small tank diving displays during the late 19th century and for hi ...

, but had to leave the water several miles out in the channel due to sea-sickness. Kellermann later challenged and defeated von Isacescu in a

Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...

race. While in London a short was filmed of her performances and shown back in Australian venues. Kellermann helped popularize the sport of synchronised swimming after her 1907 performance of the first water ballet in a glass tank at the

New York Hippodrome The Hippodrome Theatre, also called the New York Hippodrome, was a theater in New York City from 1905 to 1939, located on Sixth Avenue between West 43rd and West 44th Streets in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan. It was called the wor ...

. In 1911, she appeared on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

in the title role of “Undine”, an aquacade specialty conceived by composer Manuel Klein and performed in repertory with the popular musical '' Vera Violetta'' that featured

Al Jolson Al Jolson (born Eizer Yoelson; June 9, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-American Jewish singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. He was one of the United States' most famous and highest-paid stars of the 1920s, and was self-billed ...

Swimwear line

Kellermann advocated for the right of women to wear a one-piece bathing suit, which was controversial at the time.Reader's Digest Services, "Record-breaking swimmers", ''Australia's Yesterdays: a Look at Our Recent Past'', 2nd edition, 1974 p. 193 According to an Australian magazine, "In the early 1900s, women were expected to wear cumbersome dress and pantaloon combinations when swimming. Although Kellermann later claimed to have been arrested at Revere Beach for public indecency while wearing one of her suits, there are no contemporary police records or news stories corroborating this, and she appears to have invented the incident. The popularity of her one-piece suits resulted in her own line of women's swimwear. The "Annette Kellermans", as they were known, were the first step towards modern women's swimwear.

Film career

In 1916, Kellermann became the first major actress to perform in a nude scene when she appeared fully nude in '' A Daughter of the Gods''. Made by

Fox Film Corporation The Fox Film Corporation (also known as Fox Studios) was an American Independent film production studio formed by William Fox (1879–1952) in 1915, by combining his earlier Greater New York Film Rental Company and Box Office Attractions Film C ...

, ''A Daughter of the Gods'' was the first million-dollar film production. Like many of Kellermann's other films, this is now considered a

lost film A lost film is a feature or short film that no longer exists in any studio archive, private collection, public archive or the U.S. Library of Congress. Conditions During most of the 20th century, U.S. copyright law required at least one copy ...

, as no copies are known to exist. Annette Kellerman in tree, arms spread

The majority of Kellermann's films had themes of aquatic adventure. She performed her own stunts including diving from into the sea and into a pool of crocodiles. Many times she would play mermaids named Annette or variations of her own name. Her "fairy tale films", as she called them, started with ''The Mermaid'' (1911), in which she was the first actress to wear a swimmable mermaid costume on film, paving the way for future screen sirens such as

Glynis Johns Glynis Margaret Payne Johns (born 5 October 1923) is a South African-born British former actress, dancer, musician and singer. Recognised as a film and Broadway icon, Johns has a career spanning eight decades, in which she appeared in more than ...

('' Miranda''),

Esther Williams Esther Jane Williams (August 8, 1921 – June 6, 2013) was an American competitive swimmer and actress. She set regional and national records in her late teens on the Los Angeles Athletic Club swim team. Unable to compete in the 1940 Summer Ol ...

Ann Blyth Ann Marie Blyth (born August 16, 1928) is an American retired actress and singer. For her performance as Veda in the 1945 Michael Curtiz film ''Mildred Pierce'', Blyth was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She is one of ...

(''

Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid ''Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid'' is a 1948 American romantic fantasy film directed by Irving Pichel starring William Powell and Ann Blyth in the title roles. The film was based on the 1945 novel ''Peabody's Mermaid'' by Guy and Constance Jones. ...

'') and

Daryl Hannah Daryl Christine Hannah (born December 3, 1960) is an American actress and environmental activist. She made her screen debut in Brian De Palma's supernatural horror film '' The Fury'' (1978). She has starred in various movies across the years, i ...

('' Splash''). Kellermann designed her own mermaid swimming costumes and sometimes made them herself. Similar designs are still used by the

Weeki Wachee Springs Weeki Wachee Springs is a natural tourist attraction located in Weeki Wachee, Florida, where underwater performances by " mermaids," women wearing fish tails as well as other fanciful outfits, can be viewed in an aquarium-like setting in the spri ...

Mermaids, including her aquatic fairy costume first introduced in '' Queen of the Sea'' (1918, another lost film). Kellermann appeared in one of the last films made in Prizma Color, '' Venus of the South Seas'' (1924), a US/New Zealand co-production where one reel of the 55-minute film was in colour and underwater. ''Venus of the South Seas'' was restored by the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The libra ...

in 2004 and is the only feature film starring Kellermann known to exist in its complete form.

Publications

In addition to her film and stage career, Kellermann wrote several books including ''How to Swim'' (1918), ''Physical Beauty: How to Keep It'' (1919), a book of children's stories titled ''Fairy Tales of the South Seas'' (1926), and ''My Story'', an unpublished autobiography. She also wrote numerous mail order booklets on health, beauty, and fitness called The Body Beautiful.

Personal life

Kellermann married her American-born manager, James Sullivan, on or around 26 November 1912 at

Danbury, Connecticut Danbury is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located approximately northeast of New York City. Danbury's population as of 2022 was 87,642. It is the seventh largest city in Connecticut. Danbury is nicknamed the "Hat Cit ...

. A life-long vegetarian, Kellermann owned a

health food store A health food store (or health food shop) is a type of grocery store that primarily sells health foods, organic foods, local produce, and often nutritional supplements. Health food stores typically offer a wider or more specialized selection of ...

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

, later in life. She remained active well into old age, continuing to swim and exercise until a short time before her death. She and her husband returned to live in Australia in 1970, and in 1974, she was honoured by the International Swimming Hall of Fame at

Fort Lauderdale A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facer ...

, Florida. Kellermann outlived her husband and died in the hospital at

Southport, Queensland Southport is a coastal suburb in the City of Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. In the , Southport had a population of 31,908 people. It contains the Gold Coast central business district. Geography Southport is bounded to the south-east ...

, Australia, on 6 November 1975, aged 88. She was cremated with

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

rites. Her remains were scattered in the

Great Barrier Reef The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over over an area of approximately . The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, A ...

. She had no children.

Legacy

In 1908, after a study of 3,000 women, Dudley A. Sargent of

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of highe ...

dubbed her the "Perfect Woman" because of the similarity of her physical attributes to the

Venus de Milo The ''Venus de Milo'' (; el, Αφροδίτη της Μήλου, Afrodíti tis Mílou) is an ancient Greek sculpture that was created during the Hellenistic period, sometime between 150 and 125 BC. It is one of the most famous works of ancient ...

. During her Fox film series, she was often billed as ‘Australia’s Perfect Woman.’ Kellermann's large collection of costumes and theatrical memorabilia was bequeathed to the

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...

. Today, many of her original costumes and personal items are held by the

Powerhouse Museum The Powerhouse Museum is the major branch of the Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences (MAAS) in Sydney, the others being the historic Sydney Observatory at Observatory Hill, and the newer Museums Discovery Centre at Castle Hill. Although often de ...

in Sydney, Australia. The Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales has her archive of personal papers. She was portrayed by

in the film ''

Million Dollar Mermaid ''Million Dollar Mermaid'' (also known as ''The One Piece Bathing Suit'' in the UK) is a 1952 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer biographical film of the life of Australian swimming star Annette Kellerman. It was directed by Mervyn LeRoy and produced by Arthur ...

'' (1952), and Kellermann's name is on a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...

, on

Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood Boulevard is a major east–west street in Los Angeles, California. It begins in the east at Sunset Boulevard in the Los Feliz district and proceeds to the west as a major thoroughfare through Little Armenia and Thai Town, Hollywoo ...

. An award-winning Australian documentary called ''The Original Mermaid'', which was about Kellermann, was produced in 2002. A swimming complex in Marrickville which opened December 2010 was named after her. The streets in the suburb of

Holt Holt or holte may refer to: Natural world *Holt (den), an otter den * Holt, an area of woodland Places Australia * Holt, Australian Capital Territory * Division of Holt, an electoral district in the Australian House of Representatives in Vic ...

in the Australian capital

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

are all named after Australian sportspeople, and Kellermann Close was named for her. In 2016, X Swimwear, a made-to-measure swimwear line, launched a custom swimsuit called "The Kellerman" after her. The American thoroughbred mare Annette K. (foaled in 1921 out of the mare Bathing Girl) was named after her. Annette K. became the grandam of U.S. Triple Crown winner

War Admiral War Admiral (May 2, 1934 – October 30, 1959) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who is the fourth winner of the American Triple Crown. He was also the 1937 Horse of the Year and well known as the rival of Seabiscuit in the 'Match ...

Filmography

* '' The Bride of Lammermoor: A Tragedy of Bonnie Scotland'' (1909, Short) * '' Jephtah's Daughter: A Biblical Tragedy'' (1909, Short) - Jepthah's Daughter * ''The Gift of Youth'' (1909, Short) * ''Entombed Alive'' (1909, Short) * ''The Mermaid'' (1911, Short) - Mermaid * ''Siren of the Sea'' (1911, Short) - Siren of the Sea * '' Neptune's Daughter'' (1914) - Annette, Neptune's daughter * '' A Daughter of the Gods'' (1916) - Anitia - Daughter of the Gods * '' National Red Cross Pageant'' (1917) - The Mediterranean - Italian episode * '' Queen of the Sea'' (1918) - Merrilla, Queen of the Sea * ''

What Women Love ''What Women Love'' is a lost 1920 American silent comedy drama film directed by Nate Watt and starring Annette Kellerman. Cast *Annette Kellerman as Annabel Cotton * Ralph Lewis as James King Cotton *Wheeler Oakman as Willy St. John * Willia ...

'' (1920) - Annabel Cotton * '' Venus of the South Seas'' (1924) - Shona Royale (final film role)

As herself

* ''Miss Kellerman's Diving Feats'' (1907, Documentary short) * ''Miss Annette Kellerman'' (1909, Documentary short) * ''The Perfectly Formed Woman'' (1910, Short) * ''The Universal Boy'' (1914) * ''The Art of Diving'' (1920, Documentary short) * ''Annette Kellermann Performing Water Ballet'' (1925, Documentary short) * ''Annette Kellermann Returns to Australia'' (1933, Documentary short) * ''Water Ballet: Sydney'' (1940, Short) * ''Water Ballet'' (1941, Short)

Archival footage

* ''The Love Goddesses'' (1965) * ''The Original Mermaid'' (2002)

Works

* ''How to Swim'' * ''Physical Beauty, How to Keep It''''Physical Beauty, How to Keep It''
Kellermann, Annette; Library of Congress; New York : George H. Doran Company, 918 LCCN: 08012247; LC: RA778 .K38; ©1918; Accessed 29-01-2021

References

External links

* * *
"Annette Kellermann"
at Women Film Pioneers Project

''

Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...

Walker Walker or The Walker may refer to: People * Walker (given name) *Walker (surname) * Walker (Brazilian footballer) (born 1982), Brazilian footballer Places In the United States *Walker, Arizona, in Yavapai County *Walker, Mono County, California ...

'' (Postmaster General)
Annette Kellermann Online Exhibition
at

National Film and Sound Archive The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), known as ScreenSound Australia from 1999 to 2004, is Australia's audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting and providing access to a national co ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kellermann, Annette 1887 births 1975 deaths 19th-century Australian women 20th-century Australian actresses Australian female swimmers Australian Roman Catholics Australian people of French descent Australian silent film actresses Australian synchronised swimmers People associated with physical culture People from Marrickville People from Queensland Vaudeville performers Women film pioneers Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductees People educated at Mentone Girls' Grammar School