On corpulence, athleticism, and image: examining masculinity through Fat Men’s Clubs at the turn of the twentieth century

Description

Subject
Fat Men’s clubs emerged in the United States in the aftermath of the Civil War, with the founding of the first official Society in New York City c.1869. An 1880 report described public attitudes towards obesity as a sign of economic success and good humor. Within three decades of the first club’s formation, imitation clubs appeared across the United States. Membership logs revealed a whos-who of prominent city officials. While the clubs primarily functioned as social and political networks, they offered sporadic footraces and baseball games, which drew consistent and interested crowds.
Theoretical/Methodological Approach
This work places the rise, aims, and impact of the Fat Men’s Clubs within the military- and nationalist-based fitness pleas which rose to renewed prominence during the late-nineteenth century. During the late nineteenth century, weight was seen as a sign of wealth – one had the income, resources, and connections to afford opulent meals and an abundance of leisure time. The status afforded to the men who joined the club was contrasted by the public’s reception of the associations. Snide comments by the general population underscored the contrast the Fat Man’s Race comprised. For a collection of men proud of their stoutness, the spectacle of a public fifty-yard dash through a park seems intentionally degrading.
Sources and Significance
Prior scholarship has made only passing reference to these events. (Redmond, 2014; Rosenzweig, 1985) However, the events themselves and the community impact of them has gone mostly overlooked. Therefore, my presentation examines club reports and newspaper coverage of athletic contests put on by various Fat Men’s clubs to identify perceptions of size and masculinity both within and outside the associations. Ultimately, this research examines how the athletic contests of Fat Men’s Clubs reinforced the marginalization overweight individuals faced within urban-industrial communities of the early
twentieth century United States.

Period	Jan 2024
Event title	Physical Cultures of the Body
Event type	Conference
Location	Austin, United States, TexasShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International