Acrobat Archives - www.oldtimestrongman.com

Looping The Loop, 1903

Posted on Monday, March 1st, 2021 by John Wood

We have covered many different types of outstanding physical achievements on this blog, and I think this one most definitely fits the bill. Behold! ~ The “Looping The Loop” stunt, performed by the acrobat “Mephisto” at the Casino de Paris, circa 1903. One must be able to achieve a specific amount of leg strength and speed in order to complete this feat — and be pretty confident in one’s ability to do so… otherwise, a rather tragic result. So, you better not skip leg day.

The photographer had a keen eye, capturing this daredevil at the exact moment that he arrived at the highest point of the loop and was positioned exactly upside down. I’d say this fellow earned his bread.

Charmion

Posted on Monday, August 13th, 2018 by John Wood

Laverie Vallee was a trapeze artist from Sacramento, California who took the stage name Charmion when she performed in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. At ten years of age, young Charmion became enamored with the circus, and through great determination (and some reluctance from her family) undertook a variety of physical training disciplines at a local gymnasium. Charmion’s physique, which would be just as impressive these days, well over a century later, was built through not only trapeze work, but training on the horizontal bars, fencing, bag-punching, wrestling, and hand-balancing. She also regularly lifted dumbbells in the 50-70 pound range. She stood only five feet tall and weighed 115 pounds but was said to have an arm just as big around as the prize-fighter James J. Corbett.

Saul Hallap

Posted on Monday, July 18th, 2016 by John Wood

Saul Hallap was a great Estonian weight lifter who set four world records and seven European records during his career. Hallup also competed in the 1924 Olympic games in Paris where he one-arm snatched 75 kg, one-arm clean & jerked 95 kg, pressed 90 kg, two-hand snatched 90 kg and two-hand clean & jerked 115 kg, which was good for a 465 kg total and a 9th place finish. After his weight lifting career, Hallap became a circus acrobat.