The Physical Culture & Iron Game Picture Thread

[David Gentle]

HI COLIN, ONE REASON WHY FREDDY DIDNT WIN CONTESTS IS BECAUSE HIS LEGS WERE NOT UP TO HIS UPPER BODY STANDARD, OR IT MAY HAVE BEEN HE JUST WOULD NOT BE INFLUENCED BY THE POLITICS. ONE CHAMP I KNOW WHO GAVE IT ALL UP BECAUSE OF STEROIDS WAS THE GREAT LEN SELL. DAVID GENTLE

[DannyBoy]

HOPC Facebook post:

The first Mr. Britain contest was held in 1930 and it's the oldest running bodybuilding/physique contest in the world. It was originally sponsored/staged by the Health & Strength League for the first quarter century of it's existence, but has been sponsored by NABBA since the late 1950's. William T. Coggins became the inaugural Mr. Britain and then went on to win the title again in 1932.

[DannyBoy]

HOPC Facebook post:

Prior to his film career and years before his breakthrough role as James Bond/007, legendary Academy Award winning Scottish actor Sean Connery was into bodybuilding. Connery notably competed in the 1953 NABBA Mr. Universe (amateur) contest in the Tall class against greats Bill Pearl (who won the class & overall title) and John Lees (who placed 2nd), though he failed to place.

[DannyBoy]

HOPC Facebook post:

Strongman Joe Lambert at a Miller Bros. 101 Ranch Wild West Show in 1923. Lambert was born in 1880 and at 16 ran off to join the Louis Cyr Circus. He later toured with other circuses including the famous Barnum & Bailey Greatest Show on Earth and Ringling Bros. World's Greatest Shows, as well as toured the Vaudeville circuit. Lambert also notably filled in for the injured original Herman Saxon in the Saxon Trio at one point, did a posing & balancing act with Adolph Nordquest known as "Young Sandow & Lambert", and teamed up with Clevio Massimo doing lifting, posing, juggling & balancing.

[peter yates]

Hi Danny, great post. It would be good to get a list of all the strongmen/women who performed with RB/B&B circus over the years now they are coming to an end.Thanks for starting the ball rolling with this one.
Regards, Peter.

[DannyBoy]

Hi Danny, great post. It would be good to get a list of all the strongmen/women who performed with RB/B&B circus over the years now they are coming to an end.Thanks for starting the ball rolling with this one.
Regards, Peter.

Thanks Peter! It would be very interesting to get a list of all the strongmen & women who've ever performed for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (well prior to 1919 they were two separate circuses; Ringling Bros. goes back to 1884 and Barnum & Bailey goes back to 1881). Who knows how many strongmen & women have worked for Ringling Bros. &/or Barnum & Bailey over the years and I haven't the slightest idea if such a list even exists or really where to search for such info. Off the top of my head I know the Saxon Trio actually made their American debut performing for the Ringling Bros. Circus at Madison Square Garden (II) in 1909.

Any ideas Peter? Do you think anyone at Joe Roark's Iron History forum might know?

[DannyBoy]

HOPC Facebook post:

Pictured here Joe Nordquest performs a floor press with shoulder bridge. In 1916 Nordquest set a new world record in the floor press with a lift of 363lb, breaking the previous record of 361lb set by Georg Hackenschmidt in 1898.

[DannyBoy]

HOPC Facebook post:

At the age of 18 Eric Pedersen (born Charles Roland Putnam, Aug 17, 1928 - Oct 13, 1990) won the 1947 AAU Mr. California contest and was runner-up to Steve Reeves at the 1947 AAU Mr. America contest, losing by only half a point. Pedersen later became a professional wrestler, wrestling from the late 1940s until the early 1960s, sometimes under the moniker Superman Apollo or Superman the Apollo. Later in life he worked as a gambling debt collector in Las Vegas.

[Internalfitness]

HOPC Facebook post:

At the age of 18 Eric Pedersen (born Charles Roland Putnam, Aug 17, 1928 - Oct 13, 1990) won the 1947 AAU Mr. California contest and was runner-up to Steve Reeves at the 1947 AAU Mr. America contest, losing by only half a point. Pedersen later became a professional wrestler, wrestling from the late 1940s until the early 1960s, sometimes under the moniker Superman Apollo or Superman the Apollo. Later in life he worked as a gambling debt collector in Las Vegas.

Looks like there is a family run facebook page for Eric - some cool pics up there:

https://en-gb.facebook.com/Eric-Pederse ... 119662279/

[DannyBoy]

Looks like there is a family run facebook page for Eric - some cool pics up there:

https://en-gb.facebook.com/Eric-Pederse ... 119662279/

Yes, some cool pics indeed!