Scarce and beautiful 3.5 x 5.25-inch sepia-tone swimsuit portrait dated 1926, boldly signed in black fountain pen.  Angling toward the light shows two creases to the bottom area, surrounding the writing, but these are invisible when the photo is viewed head-on; otherwise, in good condition for its age. Beautiful Australian swimmer, glamour icon and silent film actress Annette Kellerman made a controversial splash when she became one of the first women to wear a one-piece bathing suit, which she later began manufacturing, to great success.  She was also one of the earliest champions of synchronized swimming. On screen, she was typically cast in movies with aquatic themes and, as the star of A Daughter of the Gods (1916), she became the first major actress to appear nude.

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