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Your Body, a Gernsback magazine about health

In the 1920's Hugo Gernsback introduced yet another magazine, sort of a user's guide to Your Body. It was probably intended to capitalize on the success of Bernarr MacFadden's PHYSICAL CULTURE as it had similar cover designs and contents. It probably helped sales that the magazine could publish pictures of naked statues on the covers (in color, no less) and still get newsstand distribution. It also probably helped convince Gernsback that he could start a magazine which was specifically about sexuality. Which he did, in the early 1930's: SEXOLOGY.

YOUR BODY is pretty obscure as to circulation, contents, publishing history etc. Ryan McMillen included the following in a March, 2006 eBay listing:
[quote]
[This is an] issue of the progressive 1920s health quarterly YOUR BODY: "Know Thyself", "A Quarterly Magazine Devoted to the Welfare of the Human Body." Published by the Experimenter Publishing Company in New York; Spring Edition, 1929. Vol. 2, No. 3. 96 pages.... This magazine has the look and feel of a typical Gernsback production, is a bit oversized, (8 x 11").... A sometimes laughingly outdated physical culture and health magazine that ventured into controversial territory in its day. Other issues featured lengthy pieces on eugenics, sex education, and much more. This issue is perhaps most fascinating for a lengthy screed on the subject of "Amazonism," by O'Folde Rol, P.D.S., in which Rol (doesn't seem like his real name) talks about the growing danger of predatory women in their efforts to re-establish matriarchy as the dominant social order. He shows women who, through the acquisition of power, allegedly begin to look more like a man. Includes such morsels of wisdom such as "After her extended experience in belittling, intimidating, and destroying man, woman has developed an inert philosophy in keeping with the nature of the work to be accomplished. She possesses a depth of hatred against her inherent enemy, man, that is never exhausted." At the end of the article, the editors ask for a woman to present the other side of the story. Seems like an April Fool's Joke of some sort, especially since "folderol" (see author's name) is defined as "nonsensical writing." Issue also includes articles such as

PRIMITIVE SUPERSTITIONS ABOUT CHILDBIRTH

THE TRUTH ABOUT REJUVENATION

HOW CAN WE GET BIRTH CONTROL?

EROGENOUS ZONES OF THE BODY

COLD AND INFLUENZA

THE LIBIDO IN PSYCHOANALYSIS (great illustrations of a godlike figure named Libido brandishing a club leading a businessman to a dawn scene of Success and Happiness)

HOW FASTING AFFECTS YOUR LIFE

Issue also filled with striking period health ads, and many other articles. The illustrations are often cartoonish and quite fascinating.
[endquote]

Sounds like a typical Gernsback mix. In the 1930's Gernsback merged another magazine, POPULAR MEDICINE, into YOUR BODY, and the combined magazine survived until at least 1939.

Date: 11/22/2006
Owner: Magazine Art Gallery Administrator
Size: 5 items
Your Body 1927-Winter
 
 

Your Body 1927-Winter

Date: 12/12/2006
Views: 3276
Your Body 1928-Fall
 
 

Your Body 1928-Fall

Date: 12/12/2006
Views: 2418
Your Body 1929-Spring
 
 

Your Body 1929-Spring

Date: 12/12/2006
Views: 2581
Your Body 1929-Summer
 
 

Your Body 1929-Summer

Date: 12/12/2006
Views: 2669
Your Body 1929-Winter
 
 

Your Body 1929-Winter

Date: 12/12/2006
Views: 2879
     
Page: 1

 

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