The storied evolution of the woman's bathing suit

In 1907, Annette Kellerman appeared on a Boston beach wearing the world's first one-piece bathing suit for a woman. The 20-year-old Australian athlete was arrested on indecency charges even though the suit was extremely modest by modern standards. Yet the fact that it had short sleeves and stopped mid-thigh was considered provocative at a time when the sight of a lady's ankles was risque. The offensive garment was also tight, showing off the figure of the young swimmer, who went on to star in the first silent pictures with nude scenes.

Nevertheless, Kellerman's swimsuit soon became all the rage in the Western world, including Greece, and it can be seen among the older photographs in the collection of Nikos Politis, the proud owner of one of the country's greatest private photographic archives.

"The photographs of bathing suits worn on Greece's beaches in the early...

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