Tuesday, July 21, 2009
The Saxon TrioMarch 25th, 1909 was the date that the Saxon trio made their American debut at Madison Square Garden. They traveled from coast to coast with great fanfare and performed many amazing feats as a part of the Ringling Brothers Circus.
Labels: Arthur Saxon, Circus, Circus Act, Herman Saxon, Kurt Saxon, Ringling Brothers Circus, Saxon Trio
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Tuesday, July 07, 2009
The Amazing SamsonHuman cannon acts have long been a feature attraction with circuses. Only Alexander Zass, known as 'The Amazing Samson', performed a version of this dramatic center ring spectacle that has never been duplicated. This European strongman star executed the cannon act so that his agile brawn replaced the net in catching his partner as she was catapulted across the arena.
Labels: Alexander Zass, Amazing Samson, Cannon, Circus, Circus Act, Circus Strongman
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Thursday, June 25, 2009
Les BartrasLes Bartras, a European hand-to-hand trio specialized in prodigious stunts like this one which combined brawn with acrobatic skill. Their spectacular feats have brought them fame and prosperity in circus and vaudeville engagements. This trio trained extensively with weights to prepare for their incredible balancing stunts.
Labels: Acrobatics, Balance, Balance Feat, Circus, Circus Act, Hand Balancing Act, Les Bartras, Vaudeville
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Tuesday, January 27, 2009
A Congress of Japan's Famous Strong MenHere's a pretty interesting item, a poster from the Barnum and Bailey Circus advertising "A Congress of Japan's Famous Strong Men." Based on the attire, I would expect to see sumo wrestling and/or grappling such as is pictured in the top half of the poster.
The bottom illustrations are intriguing though: Sumo wrestlers engaging in stone lifting, steel scrolling, live animal wrestling, horseshoe bending... and of particular interest is the gent in the bottom right holding a kettlebell in each hand. This poster is from the 1921 Circus season.
Labels: Barnum and Bailey Circus, Circus, Circus Poster, Horseshoe Bending, Japan, Japanese Strongman, Kettlebells, Stone Lifting, Sumo Wrestlers
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Thursday, January 15, 2009
Madame Yucca - The Female HerculesA rare poster featuring Madame Yucca as perforoming in the Forepaugh and Sells Brother Circus. The Female Hercules was shown lifting various globe weights overhead, harness liftnig several animals including an elephant and even lifting an anvil with her teeth. Note the use of kettlebells for one and two arm lifts. The poster dates from 1898.
Labels: Adam Forepaugh, Anvil Lifting, Circus, Circus Poster, Feat, Globe Barbell, Globe Dumbbell, Harness Lifting, Madame Yucca, Sells Brothers Circus, Strongwoman, Teeth Lifting
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All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Friday, August 01, 2008
George Levasseur - Ringling Brothers Circus StrongmanThis spectacular elephant lifting stunt of
George Levasseur's turns the calander back to the year 1907 when the Ringling Bros. billed the Detroit-born strongman as "The Strongest Man on Earth."
Levasseur was the center ring attraction with this and other dramatic displays of his strength such as allowing a large motor car filled with passengers to drive over his body.
Another sensational stunt was known as "The Human Chain where the daring strongman would resist the pulling powers of two teams of horses tugging in opposite directions in vain to seperate his clenched arms.
Labels: Backlift, Circus, Circus Strongman, Elephant, George Levasseur, Human Link, Ringling Brothers Circus
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All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Joan RhodesThe lovely Joan Rhodes looked every bit the blonde bombshell but could perform incredible feats of strength that most men twice her size could not even dream of accomplishing. She left home at the age of 13 to join the circus where she was "adopted" by the Strongman who taught her how to build her strength.
She was featured prominantly in magazines articles and newsreel clips bending iron bars, breaking nails, and tearing phonebooks as shown in this classic shot from the 1950's.
Labels: Bar Bending, Circus, Joan Rhodes, Nail Breaking, Phonebook Tearing, Strongwoman
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All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
| Ivan Poddubny was one of the greatest of the Russian Strongman wrestlers. He was born in a small village and worked hard jobs even from a young age. After some training, he joined the russian circus, performing feats of strength and wrestling all comers. After 40 years, he retired undefeated on both counts. He is still a well-known sports hero in Russia with several big wrestling tournaments bearing his name. |  Ivan Poddubny - "The Russian Hercules" |
Labels: Circus, Circus Strongman, Ivan Poddubny, Russian Strongman, Wrestler, Wrestling
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Monday, December 03, 2007
| Horace Barre was Louis Cyr's protege as they traveled the country performing in the John Robinson Circus. Barre was often referred to as the "French Herculese" or the "French Sampson" and, like his mentor, he excelled in such oldtime strongman feats as the back lift, hefting heavy dumbbells overhead and barrel lifting. |  Horace Barre |
Labels: Circus, Circus Strongman, Horace Barre, John Robinson Circus
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Thursday, November 29, 2007
The Saxon Trio Perform at The Ringling Brothers CircusHere's a look at a very rare Ringling Brothers Circus Poster featuring Arthur Saxon and the other members of the Saxon Trio.
The poster shows a few of their feats which included several amazing supporting feats - the most impressive being the "human bridge" supporting over six thousand pounds as a car with several passengers drove over a planks that two of the members of the Saxon Trio held up with their feet.
That must have been a great one to see in person.
Labels: Arthur Saxon, Circus, Circus Poster, Circus Strongman, Human Bridge, Ringling Brothers Circus, Saxon Trio, Supporting Feat
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Monday, October 22, 2007
Circus Strongman George Levasseur's Classic Stage WeightsGeorge Levasseur was the "Strongman" at the Ringling Brothers Circus during the early part of the 20th century. He was famous for his Backlifting ability but he performed all manner of classical strongman feats, including lifting several unusual "stage" weights as pictured here: Globe barbells, dumbbells and kettlebells.
Notice the Thick Handles on the globe barbells.
Labels: Backlift, Barbell, Circus, Dumbbell, George Levasseur, Kettlebell, Oldtime Strongman, Strongman Equipment, Thick Bar
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All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Louis Cyr and Horace Barre' - John Robinson's $25,000 Challenge Feature During the 1898 Circus Season, Canadian Strongman Louis Cyr and his assstant/protege' Horace Barre performed their unique feats of strength all around the country in the John Robinson Circus.
As they criss-crossed the map, John Robinson put up $25,000 for any person who could duplicate any one of either of their feats.
Their performance included the back lift, Cyr's Barrel Lifting Feat, supporting feats, and lifting other heavy dumbbells or blockweights of various sizes and shapes.
Adjusting for inflation, that would be nearly $600,000 today, and, ironically enough, their money would still be safe...
Labels: Backlift, Barrel Lifting, Circus, Horace Barre, Louis Cyr, Oldtime Strongman, Strongman Equipment, Strongman Feat, Supporting Feat
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
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