Ricardo Nelson Archives - www.oldtimestrongman.com

Ricardo Nelson at the Rialto

Posted on Sunday, June 30th, 2019 by John Wood

Here’s one from the deep archives, an advertisement from “The Swedish Lion” Ricardo Nelson’s engagement at the Rialto Theatre in Ironwood, Michigan on November 24 and 25, 1925.

“The Swedish Lion, the Samson of Modern Times, the strongest man living. Ricardo Nelson has been accepted and conceded to the the World’s Strongest Man by the largest moving picture corporation at Hollywood California, and was photographed in life motion photography in feats of strength. With his jaws alone, he twisted up large steel horseshoes, with his bare hands, he tears to pieces a 1-1/4 inch thick rope tested at 4000 pounds and many other unbelievable feats of strength.”

You can read more about Nelson HERE and HERE.

Ricardo Nelson, Acclaimed “The World’s Strongest Man” Postcard

Posted on Monday, August 25th, 2014 by John Wood

Ricardo “The Swedish Lion” makes his second appearance in our blog, on this occasion, we have an extremely rare postcard showcasing a few of his unique feats of strength: bending a horseshoe in his teeth, scrolling a long steel bar around his leg and breaking a thick rope with leg power alone.

Ricardo ‘Hardtack’ Nelson, The Swedish Lion

Posted on Thursday, May 17th, 2012 by John Wood

Ricardo Nelson, The Swedish Lion

Bending a horse shoe isn’t exactly the easiest thing in the world to do, but Ricardo ‘Hardtack’ Nelson bent one every morning, in his teeth, no less.

Nelson was a national hero in his home country where he was known as “The Swedish Lion” but was not as well known in the U.S. Nelson was famous for his steel bending feats: scrolling, spike bending, bending steel in his teeth, he was said to even be able to bend a coin with his fingers.