British Masculinity and the YMCA, 1844-1914

In 1844 the YMCA was founded in London by a group of drapers’ assistants. From its roots as an evangelical Christian brotherhood the organization evolved to provide physical and educational pastimes and opportunities to a large proportion of lower-middle-class men. Blending social, gender and religious histories, Spurr argues that the YMCA became key in defining masculinity for this large social group and that in turn they helped to dictate the development of the organization before the First World War.