Baywatch to budgie smugglers: 100 years of swimwear on show

One of the most famous pieces of swimwear in the world - the bikini worn by Pamela Anderson in Baywatch - will be displayed in London in an exhibition dedicated to swimming and our enduring love of water.

- Nadia Khomami

At its peak in the 1990s, the US TV series drew an estimated 1.1 billion viewers each week - many of whom tuned in to watch the pin-up model and actor's slow-motion running scenes in her red bathing suit.

Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style explores swimming's social, cultural, technological and environmental evolution over the past 100 years - from Britain's lido boom in the early 20th century to the recent viral Mermaidcore trend.

Other objects going on display include the first Olympic solo swimming gold medal won by a British woman - Lucy Morton in the 200-metre breaststroke at the 1924 Paris games; a "facekini"; the now-banned LZR Racer - a high-performance swimsuit developed by Speedo and Nasa, which led to claims of "technical doping"; and a detailed architectural model of the London 2012 Aquatics Centre, designed by Zaha Hadid.