The Body

The history of the gender binary has, for millennia, been predicated on a concrete classification of two distinct, physical bodies; the male and the female. Documents dealing with physical anatomy are prevalent throughout this resource, from Victorian-era health manuals to pamphlets tackling abuse and STD epidemics during the turbulent later decades of the twentieth century.

Nineteenth-century barrister, A J. Munby, held a life-long fascination with the female figure and the physicality of women’s work. Held at Trinity College, Cambridge, the diaries written by Munby and his working-class partner, Hannah Cullwick, frequently return to the subject. He often wrote of Cullwick’s masculine features and made detailed notes about working class women involved in various trades such as coal mining, domestic servitude and the performing arts. His albums of photographs of working women captured the bodies, work and fashions which Munby fetishized.

Rather than celebrating the rawness of the physical body, The laws of health in relation to the human form, published in Massachusetts in 1870, offers a guide to perfecting the figure, avoiding corpulence, overcoming offensive breath, cleaning beards and bathing. An earlier example from 1855, The young woman’s book of health, includes practical guidance to prevent the “truly pitiable” object of female frailty; the author recommends exercise, diet and phrenology, while also suggesting tips on puberty, menstruation, gynaecological conditions and hysteria.

Over the following century, radical changes in societal mores and the political climate led to the publication of far franker advice literature; this collection is rich in twentieth century health pamphlets, particularly relating to women’s health. [Documents relating to pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding] includes comments on contraception, STDs and abortion, while leaflets focussing on the menopause aim to demystify conditions historically shrouded in shame. [Prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases], comprised of educational pamphlets published in the 1970s and 1980s, includes candid and practical advice, while leaflets campaigning for funds to combat HIV and AIDs demonstrate growing health activism.

Abortion, perhaps the most divisive and politicised health issue of the past century, is also represented within this theme. Pro-choice abortion literature, digitised from the archives of the Schlesinger Library, include The bible favors abortion and The abortion business, alongside humorous postcards. The counter-argument is set-forth in [Abortion. Pro-life materials] which include in-utero photography and periodicals. Minutes of evidence from the Select Committee on Abortion, 1975-1976, can also be found in the document, Abortion and rape.

Physical attacks on the body are covered in detail; items relating to domestic abuse, child abuse and rape can be found within the collection. [Documents relating to sexual assault and violence against women] includes pamphlets such as Rape: is dating dangerous? and educational leaflets intended to prevent “acquaintance” rape. Published in 1977, the pamphlet [Self-defence lessons for women] includes practical instructions for self-protection. [Education for teenagers] also addresses the issue of abusive relationships. The topics of child abuse, male-rape and abuse by women are often discussed in items within the Men’s Movement theme, which also includes a wealth of material on “new” masculinity and physicality.