Swimming Pretty: The Untold Story of Women in Water

Vicki Valosik

Book cover for Swimming Pretty: The Untold Story of Women in Water
Book cover for Swimming Pretty: The Untold Story of Women in Water

Swimming Pretty: The Untold Story of Women in Water

Swimming Pretty: The Untold Story of Women in Water

Vicki Valosik

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Description

"If you're not strong enough to swim fast, you're probably not strong enough to swim 'pretty, '" said a young Esther Williams to theater impresario Billy Rose. Since the nineteenth century, tensions between beauty and strength, aesthetics and athleticism have both impeded and propelled the careers of female swimmers--none more so than synchronized swimmers, for whom Williams is often considered godmother.

In this riveting history--the first of its kind--Vicki Valosik traces a century of aquatic performance, from vaudeville and dime museums to the Olympic arena. Williams, who became a Hollywood sensation for her splashy "aquamusicals," was just one in a long, bedazzled line of swimmers who began their careers as athletes but found greater opportunity, and often social acceptance, in the world of show business. Together, they not only laid the groundwork for synchronized swimming, but forever changed women's relationships with water.

Early starlets like Agnes Beckwith, Lurline the Water Queen, and Annette Kellerman performed "scientific" or "ornamental" swimming, a set of moves previously only practiced by men--including Benjamin Franklin--that focused on form over speed and demonstrated physical mastery in the water. Performing in aquariums and water tanks rolled onto music hall stages, they stunned Victorian audiences with their grace and dexterity. In the process, they defied society's rigid expectations of what was proper and possible for women--and even ushered in new, sensible swimwear.

Far more than just bathing beauties, these women and others who followed influenced lifesaving and physical education programs, helping to drop national drowning rates and paving the way for new generations of female athletes. When Katherine Curtis, a University of Chicago physical educator, decided to match their aquatic movements to music in the 1920s, young girls flocked to pools to take part in "synchronized swimming." But despite overwhelming love from audiences, the sport was for decades perceived as little more than entertaining pageantry. Practitioners soon fostered Olympic ambitions, but it would prove to be a battle against the current as these athletes fought for a spot at the highest echelons of sport.

Now, on the fortieth anniversary of synchronized swimming's elevation to Olympic status, Swimming Pretty finally honors the history of grit, glamor, and sheer athleticism of an utterly unique sport.

Critical Reviews

I have long been a fan of movie star synchronized swimmer Esther Williams but never knew she was just one of many pathbreaking pretty swimmers who date as far back as the nineteenth century. . . . Chock-full of history and personal stories, this is a fascinating, eye-opening book.--Ann Hood, author of Fly Girl

Swimming Pretty plunges into the colorful, entertaining, inspiring, and sometimes enraging history of strong women who fought for athletic joy and the right to compete--cloaking their power in traditional femininity to do so. It will leave you breathless (and googling synchro videos).--Danielle Dreilinger, author of The Secret History of Home Economics

'Women swimmers have navigated tensions between athletics and performance, sport and spectacle, for generations, ' according to this comprehensive debut history . . . An incisive marriage of sports and cultural history, this is well worth diving into.-- "Publishers Weekly"

An amazing story about the evolution of swimming, how synchronized swimming became a kaleidoscope of political and social change, and how artistic swimming became recognized as an incredibly athletic, beautiful, and world-renowned sport. I loved this fascinating book.--Lynne Cox, author of Swimming to Antarctica: Tales of a Long-Distance Swimmer

Swimming Pretty is so much more than a history of a sport--it's also an engrossing account of how society has controlled and contained women's bodies and ambitions throughout history. In deft prose filled with bizarre, often startling details, Valosik reveals the trailblazing athletes and entertainers who, in soggy corsets and petticoats, encouraged generations of women to find empowerment in the water.--M. G. Lord, author of Forever Barbie

The long path to female equality has involved many byways, and one of them has been in the pool . . . Throughout this fascinating narrative, the author emphasizes the necessary blend of physicality, creativity, and grace, making readers want to pay special attention to the sport in the forthcoming Paris Olympics. With firsthand knowledge, diligent research, and colorful prose, Valosik provides an engaging, energetic history.--Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Mention 'swimming pretty, ' and readers of a certain age may associate it with classic Hollywood pageantry in which synchronized swim performances featured glamorous mermaids creating intricate patterns on the silver screen. In this fascinating, extensively researched history, Valosik (who took up synchronized swimming as an adult) addresses a longstanding question: is it art, show business, or sport? . . . a plethora of fascinating facts combined with groundbreaking developments throughout the years will captivate readers curious about a sport that requires skills, stamina, and strength and that deserves respect.--Booklist, starred review

Publishing Information

Publisher: Liveright Publishing Corporation
Pub date: 2024-06-25
Length: 368 pages

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