Preparing for the Fray

Preparing for the Fray

This image of two female fencers who are soon to engage in combat exemplifies how athletic equipment, like their fencing foils, is presented as a tool for female ambition. The figure on the left grips her foil and faces her opponent, "preparing for the fray." Yet the title also suggests how gaining athletic skill and mastery of equipment prepared women for pursuits off the field.

Unknown

Edwardian Era