This photograph shows girls in a callisthenics lesson in 1905.
What to look at in the photograph
Callisthenics was an early form of gymnastics in which groups of pupils did exercises together, sometimes to the accompaniment of music. Such lessons were designed to develop disciplined and graceful movement. The photograph shows the children standing in straight lines with their arms outstretched. Their teacher is standing on the left. She would have given them instructions about the exercises she wanted them to do and they would move together.
A callisthenics lesson in the 1880s
We walked two by two to a dancing mistress's house for our callisthenics lessons. She was called Miss Marten.
We went into a large room standing in two lines facing two of Miss Marten's assistants. We had to copy their movements. We had chest expanders. These were two handles joined together with elastic which was, for safety, enclosed in silk.
Miss Marten was a very dignified figure, always well dressed in black silk or satin, tight fitting with a boned and buttoned bodice and black or white kid gloves. We were told to "Expand your arms" and we did this and some other graceful exercises.
Then we marched around the room all together. We had to keep in step.
Finally we formed a large circle round Miss Marten, curtseying very low to her together and repeating the curtsey individually as we passed her on leaving the room.
Tasks
Look at the meanings of the words in the glossary before you answer these questions.
Compare a callisthenics lesson at Manchester High School in the 1880s with your gym lessons in the following ways:
what the teacher wears,
what happens in the lesson,
what happens at the end of the lesson.
Victorian girls were expected to behave in a very disciplined and dignified manner. Deportment, that is how to stand and walk gracefully, was very important. Running about and being boisterous was frowned upon.
How would callisthenics lessons have helped Victorian girls to behave like this?