Annette Kellerman

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Annette Kellermann was born in Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia, on 6 July 1886, to Australian-born violinist Frederick William Kellermann and his French wife, Alice Ellen Charbonnet, a pianist and music teacher. At age six, a weakness in her legs necessitated steel braces; her parents enrolled her in swimming classes at Cavill's Baths in Lavender Bay. By 13 her legs were practically normal, and by 15 she had mastered all strokes and won her first race. In 1902 she won the ladies' 100 yards and mile championships of New South Wales in record times of 1 minute, 22 seconds and 33 minutes, 49 seconds respectively. On 24 August 1905, aged 19, she was one of the first women to attempt to swim across the English Channel. After three unsuccessful swims she declared, 'I had the endurance but not the brute strength.'

Kellermann performed water ballets and diving displays, including a mermaid act at Princes Court entertainment centre and a glass tank show at the Exhibition Aquarium. In 1911 she appeared on Broadway in the title role of 'Undine', an aquacade specialty performed in repertory with Vera Violetta featuring Al Jolson. She advocated for women's right to wear a one-piece bathing suit, which was controversial. She later claimed to have been arrested at Revere Beach, though no contemporary police records or news stories corroborate this. The popularity of her suits led to her own line of women's swimwear, known as 'Annette Kellermans'. She married her American-born manager, James Sullivan, on or around 26 November 1912 at Danbury, Connecticut. A life-long vegetarian, she later owned a health food store in Long Beach, California.

Reader's Guide

Annette Kellermann's significance lies in her role as a pioneer for women's swimwear and aquatic performance. By wearing and popularising the one-piece bathing suit, she challenged restrictive norms and paved the way for modern swimwear. Her film career included the first nude scene by a major actress in A Daughter of the Gods (1916), a Fox Film Corporation production that was the first million-dollar film. She performed her own stunts including diving from 92 feet into the sea and 60 feet into a pool of crocodiles. Her 'fairy tale films' started with The Mermaid (1911), where she was the first actress to wear a swimmable mermaid costume on film. Venus of the South Seas (1924), restored by the Library of Congress in 2004, is the only feature film starring Kellermann known to exist in its complete form. Kellermann authored several books including How to Swim (1918) and Physical Beauty: How to Keep It (1919). In 1908, after a study of 3,000 women, Dudley A. Sargent of Harvard University dubbed her the 'Perfect Woman' because of the similarity of her physical attributes to the Venus de Milo. Her large collection of costumes and theatrical memorabilia was bequeathed to the Sydney Opera House; many original items are held by the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney. The Mitchell collection, State Library of New South Wales holds her archive of personal papers. She was portrayed by Esther Williams in the film Million Dollar Mermaid (1952), and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A swimming complex in Marrickville, New South Wales, is named after her, and she has been described as a swimming suffragist for her efforts advocating for women's swimming and bathing suit reform.

Did You Know?

• At age six, Kellermann wore steel braces to strengthen weak legs; by 13 her legs were practically normal after swimming classes.
• She was one of the first women to attempt to swim the English Channel in 1905, making three unsuccessful tries.
• Kellermann was the first major actress to appear nude in a Hollywood production, in the 1916 film A Daughter of the Gods.
• In 1908, Harvard's Dudley A. Sargent dubbed her the 'Perfect Woman' for her physical similarity to the Venus de Milo.
• The American thoroughbred mare Annette K., foaled in 1921, was named after her and became the grandam of U.S. Triple Crown winner War Admiral.