Four female acrobats.

England, 1934.

1 encoded moving image (27 min.) : silent, black and white

00:27:00

Segment 1 A woman in a sequinned bikini walks towards and away from the camera with bare feet and in a low-heeled shoe. The intertitles note that the gaits are different. Examples of a poor and a good high kick are shown. A woman dances on one leg to show the action of the leg muscles. A woman twists around with her feet pointing forward to show the rotation of the spine. An x-ray of a straight spine is shown. Time start: 00:00:00:00 Time end: 00:05:13:11 Length: 00:05:13:11

Segment 2 An x-ray of a twisted spine is shown. A woman performs a back bend, and an x-ray of this position is also shown. Other types of back bend are shown. Time start: 00:05:13:11 Time end: 00:10:57:06 Length: 00:05:43:20

Segment 3 An x-ray of a normal spine is shown, followed by x-rays of different types of back bend. A woman twists herself into a crab-like acrobatic position, and an x-ray is shown. The intertitles describe the movements of the muscles during these unusual positions. Time start: 00:10:57:06 Time end: 00:16:25:10 Length: 00:05:28:04

Segment 4 An x-ray of another type of back bend is shown. A woman sits on the floor and holds the soles of her feet with her legs outstretched. The intertitles analyse the muscle movements required. A lady touches her toes, and an x-ray is shown. A woman performs different types of high kick; these are shown in slow motion. X-rays of the high kick in various phases are shown. An x-ray of the pelvis area is shown. X-rays of a male vertebral column from different angles are shown together. A woman is shown walking with and without heels, and performing a 'remarkable back bend contortion'. Time start: 00:16:25:10 Time end: 00:21:37:19 Length: 00:05:12:09

Segment 5 An x-ray of one of the female acrobat's spine is shown. The intertitles point out interesting aspects. A woman performs various acrobatic contortions, with x-rays of the positions shown and commented on. Time start: 00:21:37:19 Time end: 00:27:00:05 Length: 00:05:22:11

By Robert Douglas Lockhart, Professor of Anatomy, University of Birmingham. Radiographs by J.F. Brailsford and A.C. Fowler.

Unrestricted

Public Domain Mark

Copyright previously held by British Medical Association and assigned to Wellcome in 2005