Victorian Legs: Degeneracy, Disability, Decorum, Desire (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781526188953)

Victorian legs is about the science (sometimes spurious) and sexuality (often frivolous) of legs during the Victorian period. The book argues that legs occupy a particularly vexed position in Victorian culture. Strong legs formed the foundation (or the columns) of the civilized subject, but the politics of who could show their legs remained gendered. For the most part, men exhibited and admired, while women concealed and demurred. This book not only joins and advances the lively critical discourse on the Victorian body, but also marks new paths to pursue. While legs made us human, they could also dehumanize.

Author: Clayton Tarr
ISBN-10: 1526188953
ISBN-13: 9781526188953
Publisher: Manchester University Press
Language: English
Published: 09/02/2025
Pages: 356
Format: Hardcover