Leisure and Pleasure

This exploration of an unexpected aspect of New Zealand social history examines the human body at leisure in the years 1900–1960. This book studies bodybuilding, especially the famous strongman Eugen Sandow; growing ideas about fitness, health, and exercise; the rise of beauty contests; the culture of the beach and the pool; nudism; and children's play and the appearance of playgrounds. The central aim is to explore how bodies-men's, women's and children's-were shaped and displayed through various leisure pursuits in 20th-century New Zealand.