Venus With Biceps: A Pictorial History of Muscular Women

Description

Over the last 100 years, the image of the physically strong, confident, muscular woman has been the object of derision, fascination and erotic fantasy. She is often portrayed, in both photography and illustration, as a sexy dominatrix, sexless mannequin, or sideshow freak. In this fascinating collection of rare archival images from the late 19th to the mid-20th century, authors David L. Chapman and Patricia Vertinsky trace the peculiar yet fascinating history of muscular women in popular culture.

Patricia Vertinsky: Patricia Vertinsky is a professor at the School of Human Kinetics at the University of British Columbia, specializing in the social and cultural history of the body. She is the author or editor of four previous books on sports and gender. David L. Chapman: David L. Chapman is the author of twelve books on male photography and bodybuilding, including American Hunks (Arsenal, 2009) and Comin' at Ya!: The Homoerotic 3D Photographs of Denny Denfield (Arsenal, 2007).

A celebration of female strength, Venus with Biceps proves that today's hard-arm look dates way back--even if, as coauthor David L. Chapman puts it, muscular women 'risk being seen ... as dangerous.' --People magazine A truly fascinating tour of the hardbodied heroines of the photographic age ... I opened the book prepared to gawk at the weirdness of a past when most women were tiny, fluffy, corseted creatures and those who weren't were sent to the freak show, but by the time I'd read it through to the end, I'd realized that nothing of any significance has occurred in the realm of thinking about women's figures for at least a hundred years. An edifying read indeed. --The New Yorker Chapman and Vertinsky collaborate for a fascinating portrayal of the world of female bodybuilding ... The authors have created an excellent collection of thoughtfully-curated photos and essays; the result is an intriguing look at a little regarded period in sports history. --Publishers Weekly Simply jaw-droppingly amazing ... This coffee table-sized paperback is so heavy and heaving with astonishing images that one builds one's own bice ps in reading it. --EDGE (New York, etc.) This fascinating visual history uses archival images, posters, comic books, magazine illustrations and photography to trace the history of the physically strong, muscular woman and of society's evolving attitudes toward female strength. --Seattle Times Visually stunning, rigorously researched, and thoughtfully written, Venus with Biceps is as much a treasure chest of rare vintage ephemera as it is a fascinating and important meditation on a contentious facet of gender identity and cultural politics. --Brainpickings.org A celebration of female strength, Venus with Biceps proves that today's hard-arm look dates way back--even if, as coauthor David L. Chapman puts it, muscular women 'risk being seen ... as dangerous.' --People magazine A truly fascinating tour of the hardbodied heroines of the photographic age ... I opened the book prepared to gawk at the weirdness of a past when most women were tiny, fluffy, corseted creatures and those who weren't were sent to the freak show, but by the time I'd read it through to the end, I'd realized that nothing of any significance has occurred in the realm of thinking about women's figures for at least a hundred years. An edifying read indeed. --The New Yorker Chapman and Vertinsky collaborate for a fascinating portrayal of the world of female bodybuilding ... The authors have created an excellent collection of thoughtfully-curated photos and essays; the result is an intriguing look at a little regarded period in sports history. --Publishers Weekly Simply jaw-droppingly amazing ... This coffee table-sized paperback is so heavy and heaving with astonishing images that one builds one's own bice ps in reading it. --EDGE (New York, etc.) This fascinating visual history uses archival images, posters, comic books, magazine illustrations and photography to trace the history of the physically strong, muscular woman and of society's evolving attitudes toward female strength. --Seattle Times Visually stunning, rigorously researched, and thoughtfully written, Venus with Biceps is as much a treasure chest of rare vintage ephemera as it is a fascinating and important meditation on a contentious facet of gender identity and cultural politics. --Brainpickings.org