There is nothing more liberating than swimming. — Annette (image via Library of Congress) In 1905, Annette invented the one-piece bathing suit, a dramatic departure from the pantalooned "bathing costumes" of the 1890s. Annette's design allowed women to flip and frolic and (gasp) actually swim. With the sleek shape and stretchy fabric, she revolutionized the next step in women's liberation -- and, as a side note, popularized recreational swimming in America. As "The Diving Venus," she became famous for her modeling, synchronized swimming acts, diving records and, most notoriously, her nude appearance in "A Daughter of the Gods," Herbert Brenon's 1916 aquatic epic.
A Woman to Know: Annette Kellerman
A Woman to Know: Annette Kellerman
A Woman to Know: Annette Kellerman
There is nothing more liberating than swimming. — Annette (image via Library of Congress) In 1905, Annette invented the one-piece bathing suit, a dramatic departure from the pantalooned "bathing costumes" of the 1890s. Annette's design allowed women to flip and frolic and (gasp) actually swim. With the sleek shape and stretchy fabric, she revolutionized the next step in women's liberation -- and, as a side note, popularized recreational swimming in America. As "The Diving Venus," she became famous for her modeling, synchronized swimming acts, diving records and, most notoriously, her nude appearance in "A Daughter of the Gods," Herbert Brenon's 1916 aquatic epic.