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Annette Marie Sarah Kellermann

Annette Kellerman, Diving Venus, 1920
Born July 6, 1887(1887-07-06)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Died November 5, 1975 (aged 88)
Southport, Queensland, Australia
Burial place Great Barrier Reef
Nationality Australian
Education Mentone Girls' Grammar School
Occupation Swimmer, Actress, Writer
Known for Swimmer, Actress, Writer, Inventor of Synchronised Swimming, Pioneer of women's swimwear
Religious beliefs Roman Catholic
Spouse James Raymond Louis Sullivan (1912-1975)
Website
www.annettekellerman.com


Annette Marie Sarah Kellermann (6 July 1887, Sydney, New South Wales – 5 November 1975, Southport, Queensland, Australia) was an Australian professional swimmer, vaudeville and film star, writer, and advocate for the change of women's swimwear. Events 1044 - The Battle of Ménfő takes place 1189 - Richard the Lionheart is crowned King of England Year 1887 ( MDCCCLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Events 1499 - Publication of the Catholicon in Treguier ( Brittany) Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Southport is a suburb and a business district near the mid-point of the Gold Coast, Australia and has one of the city's largest communities Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern corner of the mainland continent For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest Coral reef system in the world composed of over 2900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for 2600 kilometres (1600 mi For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Mentone Girls' Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, Day school predominantly for girls located in Mentone, a bayside suburb of Events 1044 - The Battle of Ménfő takes place 1189 - Richard the Lionheart is crowned King of England Year 1887 ( MDCCCLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 Events 1499 - Publication of the Catholicon in Treguier ( Brittany) Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Southport is a suburb and a business district near the mid-point of the Gold Coast, Australia and has one of the city's largest communities Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern corner of the mainland continent For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Vaudeville was a Genre of variety entertainment prevalent on the stage in the United States and Canada, from the early 1880s

She is often credited for inventing 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 (aka New York Hippodrome, 1933 stood in New York City from 1905 to 1939 at 6th and 43rd/44th on the site of what is now a large modern

Contents

Early life

Annette Kellerman, early 1900s
Annette Kellerman, early 1900s

Annette Kellermann was born in Marrickville, Sydney on the 6th of July 1886, to Australian-born Frederick William Kellermann, a violinist, and his French wife Alice Ellen, née Charbonnet, a pianist and music teacher. Marrickville is a Suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. [1]

At the age of 6, a weakness in Kellermann's legs necessitated the wearing of painful steel braces to strengthen them. In order to further overcome her disability, her parents enrolled her in swim classes at Cavill's baths in Sydney. 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. Diving off a deck into the Great South Bay of Long Islandjpg|thumb|A man dives into the Great South Bay of Long Island. [1]

In 1902, Kellermann decided to take her swimming seriously and subsequently won the ladies' 100 yards and mile championships of New South Wales in the record times of 1 minute, 22 seconds and 33 minutes, 49 seconds respectively. Year 1902 ( MCMII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting In that same year, her parents decided to move to Melbourne, and she was enrolled at Mentone Girls' Grammar School where her mother had accepted a music teaching position. Melbourne ( is the second most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 3 Mentone Girls' Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, Day school predominantly for girls located in Mentone, a bayside suburb of [1]

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-July 1903 she performed in the Coogee scene of Bland Holt's spectacular, The Breaking of the Drought, at the Theatre Royal. Year 1903 ( MCMIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year starting [1]

Swimming career

On 24 August 1905, Kellermann became the first woman to attempt to swim the English Channel. Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar 's General Gaius Scribonius Curio is defeated in the Second Battle of the Bagradas River Year 1905 ( MCMV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting After three unsuccessful swims she declared "I had the endurance but not the brute strength".

Kellerman was famous for her advocacy of the right of women to wear a one-piece bathing suit, which was a controversial topic in the early 20th century. The twentieth century of the Common Era began on

In the early 1900s, women were expected to wear cumbersome dress and pantaloon combinations when swimming. . . In 1907, at the height of her popularity, Kellermann was arrested on a Boston beach for indecency - she was wearing one of her fitted one-piece costumes. [1]

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 to modern swimwear.

In 1908, after conducting a study of 3000 women, Dr. Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Dudley A. Sargent of Harvard University dubbed her the Perfect Woman because of the similarity of her physical attributes to the Venus de Milo. The Aphrodite of Milos (Greek "Αφροδίτη της Μήλου" better known as the Venus de Milo is an ancient Greek statue

Kellerman married her American-born manager, James Raymond Louis Sullivan, probably on 26 November 1912 at Danbury, Connecticut. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 43 BC - The Second Triumvirate alliance of Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus ("Octavian" later "Caesar Augustus" Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. [1]

Movie career

In 1916, Kellermann became the first major actress to do a nude scene when she appeared fully nude in A Daughter of the Gods. Year 1916 ( MCMXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Nudity is the state of wearing no Clothing. The term' "nudity" can also occasionally be used to refer to wearing significantly less clothing than expected A Daughter of the Gods (1916 is a Silent film notorious for featuring Annette Kellerman in the first ever complete Nude scene by a major star Made by Fox Film Corporation, Daughter of the Gods was the first million-dollar film production. As with many of Annette Kellerman's films, this is now considered a lost film and no copies are known to exist. A lost film is a Feature film or Short film that no longer exists in either studio archives or private collections

The majority of Kellerman's films were aquatic adventure in theme. She performed her own stunts including diving from ninety-two feet into the sea and sixty feet 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 1911 film The Mermaid. With this film, she became the first actress to wear a swimmable mermaid costume on film, paving the way for future screen sirens such as Glynis Johns, Ann Blyth, and Daryl Hannah. Glynis Johns (born 5 October, 1923) is a British stage and film actress, Dancer, Pianist and Singer (notably Ann Marie Blyth (born August 16, 1928) is an Oscar-nominated American actress and Singer, often cast in Hollywood Daryl Christine Hannah (born December 3, 1960) is a American Film actress. She designed her own mermaid swimming costumes and sometimes made them herself. Similar designs are still used by The Weeki Wachee Springs Mermaids including her aquatic fairy costume first introduced in her 1918 film Queen of the Sea. Weeki Wachee Springs is a natural Tourist attraction located in Weeki Wachee Florida, where underwater performances by " Mermaids quot women In 2006 the aquatic costume company MermaidFX created and sold mermaid costumes based on Annette's original designs. MermaidFX is a company that creates Mermaid tails and other aquatic costumes for television shows films commercials and individuals The company also holds a large private collection of footage, photos and other memorabilia relating to her film career.

Extensive research by amateur film fan Mary Ann Cade in 2004 discovered many individual prints in archives worldwide of Kellerman films presumed lost. A list of the found films and their locations can be found at http://www.silentsaregolden.com/articles/lostfilmsarticle.html.

Kellerman appeared in one of the last films made in Prizma Color, Venus of the South Seas (1924), a U. The Prizma Color system was a technique of color Motion picture photography invented in 1913 by William Van Doren Kelley. S. /New Zealand co-production where one reel of the 55-minute film was in color and underwater. Venus of the South Seas, restored by the Library of Congress in 2004, is the only feature film starring Annette Kellerman known to exist in its complete form. The Library of Congress is the De facto National library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress

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.

Later life

A lifelong vegetarian, Kellermann owned a health food store in Long Beach, California. Vegetarianism is the practice of a diet that excludes Meat (including game and slaughter by-products Fish (including Shellfish and other sea Long Beach is a city located in southern California, USA, on the Pacific coast

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, Florida. Fort Lauderdale, known as the "Venice of America" due to its expansive and intricate Canal system is a city in Broward County, Florida, Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the [1] She remained active well into old age continuing to swim and exercise until a short time before her death.

Predeceased by her husband, Annette Kellerman died in hospital at Southport, Queensland, on 5 November 1975 and was cremated with Roman Catholic rites. Southport is a suburb and a business district near the mid-point of the Gold Coast, Australia and has one of the city's largest communities Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern corner of the mainland continent Events 1499 - Publication of the Catholicon in Treguier ( Brittany) Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Her remains were scattered in the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest Coral reef system in the world composed of over 2900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for 2600 kilometres (1600 mi She had no children. [1]

Legacy

Kellerman's large collection of costumes and theatrical memorabilia was bequeathed to the Sydney Opera House. The Sydney Opera House is located in Sydney New South Wales, Australia [1] Today, Many of her original costumes and personal items are held by the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, Australia. The Powerhouse Museum is the major branch of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences in Sydney, the other being the historic Sydney Observatory.

She was portrayed by Esther Williams in the film Million Dollar Mermaid (1952). For the Fijian academic business woman see Esther Williams (academic Esther Jane Williams (born August 8 1921 is a retired Million Dollar Mermaid (also known as The One Piece Bathing Suit - UK is a 1952 MGM biographical Musical film Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Her name is on a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, on Hollywood Boulevard. The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a Sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood Los Angeles California, USA, that Hollywood Boulevard is a boulevard in Hollywood Los Angeles California, United States, beginning at Sunset Boulevard in the east and running northwest

An award winning Australian documentary called The Original Mermaid about Annette Kellerman was produced in 2002. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar.

Filmography

Annette photographed in USA 1907
Annette photographed in USA 1907
Annette in her famous one-piece bathing suit
Annette in her famous one-piece bathing suit

As herself

Archive Footage


References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Walsh, G. Neptune's Daughter ( 1914 silent movie featuring the first collaboration between actress Annette Kellerman and director Herbert Brenon. A Daughter of the Gods (1916 is a Silent film notorious for featuring Annette Kellerman in the first ever complete Nude scene by a major star P (1983). Kellermann, Annette Marie Sarah (1886 - 1975). Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne University Press. Retrieved on 2007-06-15. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 763 BC - Assyrians record a Solar eclipse that will be used to fix the Chronology of Mesopotamian history
  1. Her Story. Annette Kellerman. The Dawn, Issue 54. Retrieved on 2006-02-26. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 747 BC - Epoch (origin of Ptolemy 's Nabonassar Era 364 - Valentinian I is proclaimed

External links

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