Constipation: a condition in which there is difficulty in emptying the bowels, usually associated with hardened faeces. Constipation may seem an odd topic of study, but the history of the condition and efforts aimed at relieving it open up interesting social, political and economic histories . From 1900 to 1940, the United States suffered a… Continue reading Charles Atlas and the Golden Age of American Constipation
Published in the San Francisco Examiner in 1894, the above illustration depicts the Apollo Belvedere alongside the famed US boxer Peter Jackson and, of course, Eugen Sandow. Disputing the various forms of manly beauty, the response to the cartoon was surprising to say the least. While many lauded Sandow's physique, others were less than impressed. John Stanton from… Continue reading The Three Types of Manly Form
Societal pressure on women is often a talking point. Indeed previously on this website we've looked at slimming crazes dating back to the early 1900s when women worldwide were encouraged to lose weight and 'become happy'. Well it seems that the pressure on women to conform to a certain body type works both ways as the… Continue reading Attention Women: Left out because you’re too skinny? Try Wate-On!
