Annette Kellermann - papers, c.1870-1975

MLMSS 6270

fonds

c.1870-1975

Textual Records, Graphic Materials, Photographs, Watercolours, Clippings, Ephemera

146116

10 boxes 1 'X' item - 1.53 Meters
Textual Records
Photographs
Drawings
Clippings
Ephemera
Textual Records - (printed)
Textual Records - (typescript)

Annette Kellermann was born in 1886 in Sydney, daughter of Australian violinist Frederick Kellermann and French pianist Alice Charbonnet. By the age of 15 she had mastered all swimming strokes and in 1902 won the NSW 100 yards and one mile races in record times. As a school girl she gave exhibitions of swimming and diving and also showed an interest in the theatre. In 1905 she went to England, three times attempting to swim the English Channel as well as making long distance swims in the Thames and the Danube. In 1906 she went to the USA where she performed a vaudeville aquatic act. In 1907 she was arrested for wearing a one-piece bathing suit on a Boston beach. She married theatrical manager James Sullivan in 1912. As a vaudeville performer she played in leading theatres in Europe, USA and Australia. Her act included aquatic feats, acrobatics, singing and male impersonations. She also made a series of films between 1914 and 1920. In 1918 she published two books How to swim and Physical beauty - how to keep it and in 1926 a book of children's stories Fairy tales of the South Seas. During World war 2 she lived in Queensland and worked for the Australian Red Cross. A film of her life, Million Dollar Mermaid starring Esther Williams was made in 1952. She returned to live in Australia in 1970. In 1974 she was honoured by the International Swimming Hall of Fame. She died in 1975.

1882-1975; Personal papers including birth and marriage certificates, will, identity cards, material relating to the death of her husband, accounts, bank books, agreements etc. (Call No.: ML MSS 6270/1 )

1886-1975; Correspondence. 1. Letters from Judge A. Charbonnet (in French with translation), 1886-87. 2. Letters received by Annette Kellermann, 1943-75. Correspondents include Walt Disney, Joan Hammond, Amateur Athletic Union of the United States, International Swimming Hall of Fame. (Call No.: ML MSS 6270/1)

1974-1975, n.d.; Biographical material. 1. Notes and newscuttings. 2. Biography of Annette Kellermann by her sister Marcelle Wooster. 3. 'My story' by Annette Kellermann. (Call No.: ML MSS 6270/1)

1951-1974, n.d.; Scripts. 1. Prologue to a pantomime featuring Annette Kellermann. 2. The last ten minutes of the picture of F.D.R.'s life story by James R. Sullivan. 3. Annette Kellerman by Cole Thompson. Second draft, 1974. Written for the ABC television series Behind the legend (Other versions of this script are located in the correspondence series, Box 1). 4. The one-piece bathing suit (or Million dollar mermaid). 5. Interview with Michael Charlton. (Call No.: ML MSS 6270/1)

1945, 1973; Material concerning The Women's College, University of Queensland. 1. Final report by the honourary organisers of the Women's College Building Appeal - Mr and Mrs James R. Sullivan, 5 Dec. 1945. 2. A college is built: the Women's College within the University of Queensland by H. Brotherton, 1973. (Call No.: ML MSS 6270/2)

1939-1975; Papers mainly concerning Annette Kellermann's fund-raising activities for the Australian Red Cross (2 vols). Include programs of the Red Cross Theatrical Unit; newscuttings; certificates of appreciation; letters from the Australian Red Cross, the American Red Cross, the Foreign Service of the USA, American servicemen, Cecil Kellaway, Variety Magazine etc. Also includes some material on the Women's College, University of Queensland. (Call No.: ML MSS 6270/2)

c.1904-1956; Autograph album. Mainly theatrical people (Mary Pickford, Herbert Beerbohm Tree, Marion Davies, Joe E. Brown, Harold Lloyd, Rosalind Russell, Grace Kelly etc.) but also includes the 1904-05 New Zealand 'All Blacks' Rugby Team (Bob Deans, Dave Gallaher etc.) and the 1905 Australian Cricket Team (Victor Trumper, Warwick Armstrong. Clem Hill, Albert 'Tibby' Cotter, Syd Gregory, M.A. Noble, Joe Darling etc.) (Call No.: ML MSS 6270/3)

1909-1975; Programs and other printed material. 1. Concerning swimming: Souvenir program 1938 New Zealand Swimming Championships showing course for Kellerman Cup Race; National A.A.U. Synchronized Swimming and Far Western Diving Championships 1955 program; 1975 Year Book of the International Swimming Hall of Fame. 2. Concerning theatrical and acquatic performances: includes The Mongolia Follies; A Marine Fantasy, 1936; A Musical Marine Fantasy, 1940; performances at the London Coliseum etc. 3. Miscellaneous programs collected by Annette Kellerman including: Oberammergau Home Arts Exhibition, 1924; Mike Todd's production of Hamlet; Saddler's Wells Theatre Ballet, 1952-5 tour of USA & Canada; Pasadena's Annual Tournament of Roses, 1953-57 with notes by Annette Kellermann. Also includes two programmes for performances by Alice Charbonnet-Kellermann. (Call No.: ML MSS 6270/4)

1947-1975; Newscuttings. 1. Concerning Annette Kellermann, 1952-75. 2. Concerning the film Million Dollar Mermaid, 1952. 3. Miscellaneous, 1947-72 including some concerning Newry Island, Repulse Bay, Queensland. (Call No.: ML MSS 6270/4)

Undated; Music. 1. Written and composed by Alice Charbonnet Kellermann. 2. Written and composed by Annette Kellermann. Includes Anzac, Castle on a Cloud, The Golliwog Dance, Maid of Orleans, My Sea Shell Girl, The King's Navee, Uncle Sam, Girls Just Girls and Spanish Dance. (Call No.: ML MSS 6270/5-6)

c.1870-1975; Photographs. Mainly black & white prints with some colour prints. 1. Family portraits including Alice Charbonnet Kellermann. 2. Annette Kellermann as theatrical performer and swimmer. 3. Annette Kellermann in the 1960s & 1970s. 4. Newry Island, Repulse Bay, Queensland. 5. Reproduction photographs from Annette Kellermann's books How to swim & Physical beauty - how to keep it. 6. Show business people, many inscribed including Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, Hedda Hopper, Jeanette MacDonald, Walter Pidgeon, Lucille Ball, John Wayne, June Allyson, Grace Kelly, Pat O'Brien, Cyd Charisse, Esther Williams and Helen Rose. 7. Scenes from Million Dollar Mermaid. 8. MGM film studios. (Call No.: ML MSS 6270/7-10)

1975; Plaque presented to Annette Kellermann by the International Swimming Hall of Fame (Call No.: ML MSS 6270/10)

1956, undated; Paintings. Watercolour sketches by Marcelle Wooster (nee Kellermann, Annette's sister) for Fairy tales of the South Seas by Annette Kellermann. Also includes a watercolour sketch of trees on Newry Island, 1956 and a pencil portrait of Annette Kellermann at The Passage Theatre, The Hague. (Call No.: ML MSS 6270/11X)

English, French

De-restricted 13 October 2011