Beauty Queens and Physique Kings: A History of New Zealand Beauty Contests
by Caroline Daley (9781869404208)

From the first New Zealand beauty contests for men, women, and babies to the enthusiasm for Miss New Zealand in the 1960s and 1970s, this entertaining historical study portrays the country in an entirely new light. Unlike conventional modern beauty contestants, traditional New Zealand men and women were hard working farmers, mothers, soldiers, and rugby players. Despite circumstances that did not allow them to be onstage or even in the audience, these stories tell of a New Zealander taking first prize, a 10-month old winning a perambulator in a baby show, and many others buying tickets to watch the "Modern Hercules" lift a 200-pound weight with one hand. Through the spectacle of beauty competitions and physique contests, this account offers a new way to think about the country's past.

USD $24.95

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