pastmalebeauty: Eugen Sandow, born Konigsberg, Germany 1867, died London 1925 When Eugen Sandow took
pastmalebeauty: Eugen Sandow, born Konigsberg, Germany 1867, died London 1925 When Eugen Sandow took the stage in 1894, clad only in a pair of miniature briefs, audiences swooned. Not only did Sandow have one of the finest musculatures in the Western world, but he made physical beauty his primary talent: Instead of focusing on magic tricks or daring feats, Sandow simply posed like a gorgeous hunk of marble. It was no accident that the imagery of “physical culture,” as recreational exercise was known, became closely intertwined with sexuality and pornography. Men and women alike clamoured for cabinet cards featuring Sandow in the buff, and his physique inspired the first generation of gym bunnies. Sandow did more than simply shock and titillate audiences with his tiny waist and ripped muscles; he pioneered the notion of working out for the sake of aesthetics. Sandow recognised the value of sex appeal and used it to establish one of the earliest celebrity sporting franchises from his headquarters in London, which formed the basis of modern gym culture. From notes by Hunter Oatman-Stanford -- source link