Cyclops and Sampson

Cyclops and Sampson
A rare poster advertising the strongman duo of Franz "Cyclops" Bienkowski and Charles A. Sampson. Sampson's Harness Lift is highlighted.

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Cyclops The Coin Breaker

Cyclops The Coin Breaker
Another look at Franz Bienkowski, aka Cyclops, whose fingers were so powerful that he could bend and break coins with his bare hands. On the right is one of the 10 centimes coin that Cyclops broke, a feat witnessed and authenticated by several other notable strongmen.

Cyclops possessed considerable strength and possessed a 14-1/2-inch forearm, 18-inch upper arm and 52-inch chest. He often partnered with Charles Sampson.

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Charles Sampson

Charles Sampson
Charles Sampson was a turn-of-the-century strongman who, unlike any of his contemporaries, claimed his great strength was not from physical training but a result of having been struck by lightning as a small child!

As noted in Physical Training Simplified by Mark Berry, Sampson did perform a Harness Lift with 4008 pounds and frequently collaborated with the famous coin breaker Franz "Cyclops" Bienkowski.

Sampson and Cyclops were both handily defeated by Eugen Sandow in a famous challenge match in 1889.

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