Mabel Elsworth Todd
Mabel Elsworth Todd developed her approach to posture correction and movement education in the early 1900s. Her analysis of the “adjustments of weight” required to bring the body into ideal upright alignment provided the theoretical framework for the goals of her system. Her intimate knowledge of the relationship between picturing imagery and refining kinesthetic awareness shaped the transformative potential of her educational process. This collection includes information on Todd’s education, personal life, and professional accomplishments.
Personal History
Biographical Essay on Mabel Elsworth Todd
by Pamela Matt
Letters
Mabel Elsworth Todd – Letters
Most of the letters in this collection were assembled and preserved by Barbara Clark for the purpose of providing future generations of teachers and scholars a more personal understanding of the history of the field.
Student Records
This image and short article describing the secondary school Todd attended appeared in a Syracuse, New York newspaper in 1896.
Mabel Todd’s academic records from the Emerson College of Oratory including her application dated September 24, 1906 and her academic transcripts or “term cards” from 1906-1907.
This photo of Mabel Todd and the accompanying text appeared in the 1908 Emerson College yearbook, her first year as a teacher at Emerson College.
Academic Courses
Teachers College Physical Education Curriculum
These pages from the Teachers College Bulletin 1929-1930 present the curriculum of the Department of Physical Education when Mabel Todd was an Instructor. The program requirements and courses are described including the two-semester course that Todd taught beginning in 1928, “Physical Education 167-168A – Basic Principles of Posture.”
Basic Principles of Posture Lecture Notes – Teachers College 1929
Notes from ten lectures given by Mabel Todd in her course “Basic Principles of Posture” in the Fall term of 1929. Notes from Class 8 are missing. The emphasis is on general principles of mechanics related to the evaluation of various patterns of posture.
Normal Class Notes – Teachers College 1929
Notes taken in the “normal classes,” or teacher education sessions, given by Mabel Todd through her “Basic Principles of Posture” course. The emphasis is on the diagnosis of postural problems and muscular imbalances. Simple line drawings were used to document Todd’s analysis, comments and suggestions.
New School for Social Research Lecture Notes 1931-1932
These notes, from Todd’s lectures at the New School for Social Research in the Fall of 1931 and Spring of 1932, were recorded by Estelle Bertine, one of Todd’s assistant teachers in the New York City studio. There appear to have been 10 lectures. Lectures 3 and 7 are missing, however.
Invention
Apparatus for Practicing Orthopedia – U.S. Patent Application 1925
Mabel Todd’s official patent description for her invention of an Apparatus for Practicing Orthopedia submitted in 1925.
Publications
Articles and Reviews
“Principles of Posture: First Paper” 1920
In this article published in the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal, Todd presented a description of normal posture and discussed the functional consequences of common corrective strategies that emphasized muscular holding.
“Principles of Posture with Special Reference to the Mechanics of the Hip Joint” 1921
Todd continued her discussion of body mechanics in this second paper for the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal. This article emphasized on the balance and interdependence of various units of weight in the body and the significance of the mechanics of the thigh joint.
“Our Strains and Tensions” 1931
This article published by the journal Progressive Education briefly introduces Todd’s approach to achieving mechanical balance in the body as a means of relief from the stresses of modern life.
“Basic Principles Underlying Posture” 1931
Todd prepared this article for the Journal of Health and Physical Education shortly after retiring from her teaching position in the Department of Physical Education of Teachers College, Columbia University.
“Behavior Study” Pittsburgh Post Gazette 1936
Brief article describing an informal lecture titled “Man’s Behavior and the Mechanism that Lies Behind It” given by Todd at the home of Mrs. Thomas A. Robinson. The article was printed in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on February 4, 1936. The impetus of Todd’s study of the body and the scope of her contributions are discussed.
“New Books Received – The Thinking Body” 1937
Announcement of the publication of The Thinking Body that appeared in the Journal of Health and Physical Education in December 1937.
“Book Notice – The Thinking Body” 1938
Publication notice and short review of The Thinking Body that appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association in February, 1938.
Original Book Covers and Book Jackets
The Balancing of Forces in the Human Being – Book Cover 1929
Cover for the original edition of The Balancing of Forces in the Human Being: Its Application to Postural Patterns. The text was prepared as a syllabus for the students enrolled in Todd’s physical education course “Basic Principles of Posture,” and published by the Teachers College, Columbia University in 1929.
The First Principles of Body Balance – Book Cover 1934
Cover for the original edition of First Principles of Body Balance, which was published in 1934. The cover design and illustrations were prepared by the artist Victor Perard.
The Thinking Body – Book Jacket 1937
The book jacket for the original edition of The Thinking Body: A Study of the Balancing Forces of Dynamic Man as published by Paul B. Hoeber Inc. in 1937.
The Hidden You – Book Jacket 1953
Jacket for the original edition of The Hidden You: What you are and What to do about it… as published by Exposition Press in 1953.