Houdini, Tarzan, and the Perfect Man

American History II Lynne Spence

Houdini,Tarzan, and the Perfect Man



Introduction:



John F. Kasson became interested in writing this book once he researched his great-grandfather Albert G. Matthews past. His knowledge of President Roosevelt also assisted in his interest to explore manliness in the past. He was interested in Houdini, Burrough, and Sandow's representations of popular asthetics and cultural patterns of the male body and physical beauty.
Neurasthenia, an American disease of nervous weakness and fatigue threatened men in the late 19th-20th century. Excessive brainwork, intense competition, rapid communication, hurrying, and the ubiquitous rhythm and din of technology were all medical problems that arose.
Kasson focuses on the development of newspapers, magazines, and photography because they were all crucial in maintaining and subverting gender categories. They introduced people to advertising , transformed popular theater and sport and changed individ...