Stunts of Late Nineteenth-Century New York - 9780367142698

Taylor & Francis

Stunts of Late Nineteenth-Century New YorkAestheticised Precarity, Endangered Liveness\nAuthor(s): Kirstin Smith\nFormat: Hardback\nPublisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd, United Kingdom\nImprint: Routledge\nISBN-13: 9780367142698, 978-0367142698\nSynopsis\nStunts of Late Nineteenth- Century New York: Aestheticised Precarity, Endangered Liveness examines the emergence of stunts in the media, politics, sport and art of New York at the turn of the twentieth century.\n\nThis book investigates stunts in sport, media and politics, demonstrating how these risky performances tapped into anxieties and fantasies concerning work, freedom, gendered/ raced/ classed bodies and the commodifi cation of human life. Its case studies examine bridge jumping, extreme walking contests, stunt journalists such as Nellie Bly, and cycling feats including Annie Londonderrys round- the- world venture. Supported by extensive archival research and Performance Studies theorisations of precarity, liveness and surroga.