«Acquiring a “manly” tone»: Audible Intersections of Masculinity and Age in the Long Nineteenth Century

«Acquiring a “manly” tone» delves into the role of the voice in articulating identity, particularly where it concerns the intersection between masculinity and age. Using pedagogical manuals and scientific treatises published in Britain, France and the German lands, the article explores how the closely related norms of vocal health and propriety were constructed, exercised, and sometimes changed throughout the long nineteenth century. In doing so, the article contributes to the rich debates on the intersection of categories like gender, age, race and class in the history of the body. Drawing upon the voice as a physical phenomenon and human practice, the article argues, can enrich our understanding of the historical fluidity of the body, as it allows for close scrutiny of material as well as performative change.