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Aquatic movie star Esther Williams donated her personal film collection to the Academy Film Archive in 2001. The collection is comprised of 29 items, including 20 reels of home movies that were filmed primarily between 1945 and 1960 by Williams’ husband Ben Gage and Williams herself. These 16mm films capture the actress at work on several of her feature films, on a MGM publicity tour in Europe, modeling a Cole of California swimsuit and promoting her backyard swimming pool business. Family footage includes home life, celebrations, vacations, and Williams teaching her three children to swim.