Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 1 of 1
Full-Text Articles in American Studies
Making The American Man: How Eugene Sandow, Charles Atlas, And Bob Hoffman Defined The Interwar Man In America, Dayne William Lesperance
Making The American Man: How Eugene Sandow, Charles Atlas, And Bob Hoffman Defined The Interwar Man In America, Dayne William Lesperance
Major Papers
This paper will examine how interwar American men turned to their bodies to display their masculinity during a period where said masculinity was under “attack.” Their traditional means of masculinity through the role of being a breadwinner was no longer fully attainable as women entered the workforce in increasing numbers and the Great Depression set in. American men in desperation turned to physical culture proponents like Eugene Sandow, Charles Atlas, and Bob Hoffman to show them how to navigate a new world. Sandow, Atlas, and Hoffman used new forms of media and an emerging consumer culture to find success, but …