Boy, times…do they change. In 100 years, the body of the female athlete has evolved from chunky and fit to ripped and muscular. Few modern women would dare bare this “old school” look in a bikini. Yet, 100 years ago it was considered the look of health.
The images from the attached magazine cover are from Professor Edmond Desbonnet and the French physique magazine, La Cutlture Physique.
Edmond Desbonnet (1867 – 1953) was a French academic and photographer who championed physical culture. He made physical education fashionable in belle époque France through the publication of fitness journals and by opening a chain of exercise clubs.
Because of copyright issues, Female Muscle can’t reprint Desbonnet’s images. But you can view the nudes here.
