"In bringing the body to its highest pitch of perfection, various moral qualities, the value of which it would be difficult to over-estimate, must necessarily be brought into play.
It was called the "Great Competition." It was judged by Sandow, athlete and sculptor Sir Charles Lawes, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle." - from Wikipedia.
He held the first major bodybuilding contest at the Royal Albert Hall on September 14, 1901.
In 1898 Sandow founded a monthly periodical, originally named Physical Culture and subsequently named Sandow\'s Magazine of Physical Culture.
He created the Institute of Physical Culture, an early gymnasium for body builders in 1897.
In 1894, he appeared in a short Kinetoscope film that was part of the first commercial motion picture exhibition in history.
Film theorists have attributed the appeal being the striking image of a detailed image moving in synchrony, much like the example of the Lumiere brothers\' Repas de bebe where audiences were reportedly more impressed by the movement of trees swaying in the background than the events taking place in the foreground.
While the content of the film reflects the audience attention being primarily focused on his appearance it made use of the unique capacities of the new medium.
The film was of only part of the show and features him flexing his muscles rather than performing any feats of physical strength.
In 1894, Sandow featured in a short film by the Edison Studios.
Sandow quickly became Ziegfeld\'s first star.
He added chain-around-the-chest breaking and other colorful displays to Sandow\'s routine. and the legendary strongman added these displays in addition to performing his feats of Strength with barbells.
Ziegfeld found that the audience was more fascinated by Sandow\'s bulging muscles than by the amount of weight he was lifting, so Ziegfeld had Sandow perform poses which he dubbed "muscle display performances..".
Ziegfeld could not guarantee $1,000 a week but agreed to paying 10 per cent of the gross receipts.
Grau wanted $1,000 a week.
Ziegfeld wanted to display Sandow at the 1893 World\'s Columbian Exposition in Chicago.
Florenz Ziegfeld knew that Maurice Grau had Sandow under a contract.
He left Prussia in 1885 to avoid military service and in 1889 he made his first appearance on the London stage.
Visit our website and see our many books at PhysicalCultureBooks.com About the Author: "Eugen Sandow (April 2, 1867 - October 14, 1925), born Friedrich Wilhelm Muller, was a Prussian pioneering bodybuilder in the 19th century and is often referred to as the "Father of Modern Bodybuilding." Sandow was born in Konigsberg, Prussia in 1867.
Can it for a moment be supposed that this cultivation of the will-power is not of great value to an individual, no matter what sort of task or work he may be engaged in?" - Eugen Sandow This 1897 classic is a must have book for your physical culture library.
And by exercise and practice the will-power is greatly increased, until, in course of time, the whole organism is so absolutely under its control that the muscles can be kept in perfect condition even without what, in ordinary language, is called " exercise." That is to say, that without violent exertion, but merely by the exertion of the will, the muscles can be exercised almost to any extent.
But he must put his mind, as well as his muscles, into the work.
He may not be able to add a cubit to his stature, but by taking thought a man can most assuredly increase the size of his muscles, strengthen all his organs, and add to his general vitality.
He must use his mind.
He must first learn the great secret, which ought to be no secret at all.
Mechanical and desultory exertion will never materially increase a man\'s strength.
Physical exertion, however arduous and long continued, will not make a man strong, or the day labourer and the blacksmith would be the strongest of men.
Muscles are not developed by muscular action alone.
The first essential to success is the power of concentrating the will upon the work. "In bringing the body to its highest pitch of perfection, various moral qualities, the value of which it would be difficult to over-estimate, must necessarily be brought into play
