A heavily illustrated history of two centuries of male beauty in
British culture. Spanning the decades from the rise of photography
to the age of the selfie, this book traces the complex visual and
consumer cultures that shaped masculine beauty in Britain, examining
the realms of advertising, health, pornography, psychology, sport, and
celebrity culture. Paul R. Deslandes chronicles the shifting standards
of male beauty in British culture—from the rising cult of the
athlete to changing views on hairlessness—while connecting
discussions of youth, fitness, and beauty to growing concerns about
race, empire, and degeneracy. From earlier beauty show contestants and
youth-obsessed artists, the book moves through the decades into
considerations of disfigured soldiers, physique models, body-conscious
gay men, and celebrities such as David Beckham and David Gandy who
populate the worlds of television and social media. Deslandes
calls on historians to take beauty and gendered aesthetics seriously
while recasting how we think about the place of physical appearance in
historical study, the intersection of different forms of high and
popular culture, and what has been at stake for men in “looking
good.”
Les mer
From the First Photographs to David Beckham
Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9780226805313
Publisert
2021
Utgiver
University of Chicago Press
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter