The Aquatic Star: The Swimming Career of Esther Williams in Photos

Esther Williams began swimming competitively at a young age and was discovered by a Hollywood talent scout while performing as a synchronized swimmer at the Los Angeles Athletic Club. She was considered a top-notch competitive swimmer and was even considered for the U.S. Olympic team.

She competed in various swimming competitions and was the United States National Champion in the women’s 100-meter backstroke in 1939 and 1941. She also held several national records in the backstroke and freestyle events.

Her swimming skills were utilized in many of her Hollywood movies as a means to showcase her talents as a swimmer and her athleticism and grace in the water. She became known as “Hollywood’s Mermaid” due to the many swimming and diving scenes in her films. She also worked as a swimming choreographer for her films.

She was also a successful swimming coach and trained various swimmers during the 1940s and 1950s.

Her swimming achievements and career in the swimming industry, made her a member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1965, and the American Academy of Achievement in 1999.

#1 Esther Williams at Cypress Gardens, 1960

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#2 Esther Williams at Cypress Gardens, 1960

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#3 Esther Williams at Cypress Gardens

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#4 Esther Williams poses for a photo shoot at her home in Hollywood.

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#5 Esther Williams poses for a photo shoot at her home in Hollywood, 1959

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#6 Esther Williams with a friend at The Lighthouse Club, Andros Island, Bahamas, 1958

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#7 Esther Williamsrehearsing in the water at Wembley Pool for her forthcoming aqua show.

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#8 The Esther Williams Aqua Spectacle

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#9 The Esther Williams Aqua Spectacle.

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#10 The Esther Williams Aqua Spectacle

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#11 The Esther Williams Aqua Spectacle

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#12 Esther Williams at The Milton Berle Show, 1955

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#13 Esther Williams at The Milton Berle Show, 1955

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#14 Esther Williams with male swimmers at The Milton Berle Show, 1955

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#15 Esther Williams at The Milton Berle Show, 1955

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#16 Esther Williams at The Milton Berle Show.

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#17 Esther Williams in the pool with children during the opening day of the Esther Williams Swim School at the Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.

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#18 Actress Esther Williams holds a little girl in the pool during the opening day of the Esther Williams Swim School at the Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.

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#19 Esther Williams gives swimming lessons in the pool at the Hilton Hotel on August 9, 1955

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#20 Esther Williams at The 8th Cannes Film Festival, 1955

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#21 Esther Williams sits on a inflatable float mat in a swimming pool, 1955.

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#22 Esther Williams on the set of Jupiter’s Darling filmed in the pool specially construced for her in Stage 30 on the MGM lot in 1955

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#23 Esther Williams on the set of Jupiter’s Darling filmed in the pool specially construced for her in Stage 30 on the MGM lot in 1955 in Culver City, California.

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#24 Esther Williams, American aquatic actress and former swimming champion, relaxing in a Florida swimming pool.

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#25 Esther Williams, playing with her three children, Susan, Kimball and Ben, in a pool, 1955

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#26 Esther Williams listens to explanations from director George Sidney about the underwater camera that will photograph the actress in MGM’s Jupiter’s Darling, a cinema scope musical now in the works.

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#27 Esther William in ‘Million Dollar Mermaid’, 1952

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#28 Esther Williams Showing Her Pupil Gay Pumphrey The Technique In The Butterfly Stroke, November 1951

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#29 Esther Williams in her natural element, 1950.

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#30 Esther Williams Doing Underwater Acrobatics On February 4, 1945.

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#31 Esther Williams, 1944

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#32 Esther Williams underwater, 24th July 1942

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#33 Esther Williams Swimming on Her Back

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#34 Esther Williams swims the 100-meter freestyle at the Los Angeles Examiner’s swimfest.

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#35

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