Portraits of Annette Kellermann, the Swimmer Arrested in 1907 for Wearing a One-Piece

Context (Source): In 1907, when Annette Kellerman appeared on Revere Beach in a one-piece swimsuit ending in shorts above her knees, her bold choice created an uproar. Her legs, visible and daring by the standards of the day, led to her arrest for indecency.

Yet those same legs had made her a sensation: Kellerman, an Australian swimmer, held all the women’s world records by 1905.

Beyond the pool, she captivated audiences as a vaudeville star with breathtaking high dives and graceful underwater ballet, earning her the nickname “The Original Mermaid” in the press.