The Culture of Male Beauty in Britain - From the First Photographs to David Beckham

General:
Name: The Culture of Male Beauty in Britain – From the First Photographs to David Beckham
Format: epub
Size: 23.29 MB

Book:
Title: The Culture of Male Beauty in Britain
Author: Paul R. Deslandes
Language: English

Subjects: HIS000000 History / General, HIS015000 History / Europe / Great Britain, SOC018000 Social Science / Men’s Studies, SOC012000 Social Science / Gay Studies, SOC032000 Social Science / Gender Studies
Publisher: The University of Chicago Press

Total pages: N/A

Description:
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.”