Bookvica

Fizkul’tura i byt [i.e. Physical Culture and Daily Routine]

Zikmund, A.

Moscow: Vserossiiskii proletkul’t, 1925. Item #1496

56 pp.: ill. In original photomontage wrappers. Very good, spine rubbed and chipped.
First and only edition. One of 10 000 copies.

Constructivist cover design was produced by a member of Moscow Proletkult, one of the earliest female artists in cinematography, Valentina Khmeleva (1903–?). She worked at “Mezhrabpomfilm”, “Soyuzdetfilm”, “Mosfilm”, as well as film studios in Ashgabat and Sverdlovsk. The cover design itself resembles a 1920s movie poster.
Further interesting evidence of the Soviet experiments of the 1920s, focusing in this case on the establishment of a new physical culture for the proletarian masses. In particular, this illustrated edition explained how to economize on movement and the use of energy during physical activity as part of the scheme to rationalize labor. Starting with the basics, it demonstrates how to stand and walk correctly. “A school should teach how to breathe. A factory must schedule a special period for breathing exercises”. They became a part of regular morning exercises listed in the book, which cover beginners to the fully trained, and are arranged in order of complexity.
The book presented contrasting images of healthy and unhealthy people to explain, for example, how corsets can constrain the ribs, cause curvature of the spine and so on.
The book was compiled by Albert Zikmund (1886–1938), rector of the State Central Institute of Physical Culture and the author of various guides on sports classes for school children and workers. Like many heads of sporting institutions, Zikmund was arrested and murdered during the Great Purge.
Not found in Worldcat.

Price: $1,250.00