A silver plated statue of Eugen Sandow, cast as Sandow striking a bodybuilder's pose

A silver plated statue of Eugen Sandow, cast as Sandow striking a bodybuilder's pose in front of a ruined classical column, the base indistinctly signed, set on an oak wooden plinth mounted with a plaque inscribed: PRESENTED TO C. LANG NEIL, AS A TOKEN OF PERSONAL REGARD AND A MEMENTO OF LONG AND VALUED BUSINESS SERVICES, BY EUGEN SANDOW, JANUARY 1ST 1911; standing on a tall oak arts & crafts display stand, height of statue 72.5cm., 28 1/2in., oak base 20cm., 8in., oak display stand 95cm., 37 1/2in., offering an overall display height of 188cm., 74in.; sold with a signed photograph of the statue's donee C. Lang Neil (3) Eugen Sandow was a Victorian strongman and showman who holds a special place in history as the pioneering father of bodybuilding & physical education. Eugen Sandow was born on 2nd April 1867 in Koenigsburg, East Prussia, Germany. His real name was Frederick Mueller and his father was a prosperous jeweller. His interest in physique was inspired by a visit to Rome during which he admired the fine statuary in the city. He excelled at track & field events and gymnastics at school. His parents sent him to medical school but upon discovering that their son was only concentrating on the study of anatomy with the intention of becoming a physical fitness trainer, they withdrew their financial support. Consequently, the young man was forced to earn a living as a professional wrestler and as an artist's model. During this period he met Prof. Attila in Brussels who, for a brief period, taught Sandow a good deal about weight lifting and strength exhibitions. Sandow gradually began making a name for himself as a strongman and wrestler with theatre engagements in Holland & France and in Italy, where he was presented with a medal by the king. At the age of 22 Sandow was attracted to London by financial challenges being made by the Victorian strongman known as Samson, and his pupil Cyclops. He beat both of these men in a public trial of strength at the Westminster Aquarium and was immediately lionized by London audiences and dubbed 'The Strongest Man on Earth.' The London Sportsman wrote: 'he [Sandow] is a short but perfectly built man ... with a face of somewhat ancient Greek type, but with clear blue eyes and curling blond hair of the Teuton. When in evening dress there is nothing specially remarkable about this quiet mannered, good natured youth; but when he takes off his coat and prepares for action, the extraordinary development of his arms, shoulders and back muscles is marvelously striking. It is no exaggeration to say that the statue of the Farnese Hercules is not more powerfully modelled.' Through his successes Sandow began to disseminate his teachings & techniques through a newspaper column which added further to his fame. In 1893 Sandow brought his show to the USA where it received a sensational response at the Casino in New York City, Boston's Tremont Theatre and the Trocadero in Chicago. At the latter venue the impresario Florenz Ziegfeld (later to become famous for the Ziegfeld Follies) became his manager and Sandow's nightly fee increased to as much as $3,500 on occasions. Ziegfeld also managed to secure a number of lucrative advertisement and endorsement contracts. Indeed, Sandow's name became in demand for products as diverse as tonics & health food to bicycles and cigars. The New York Herald on 18th June 1893 illustrated the type of performance that rendered audiences spellbound: 'The feats which Sandow performs on the stage seem nothing less than marvelous. He handles 65 pound dumbbells as a schoolboy would handle weights of 2 pound each. He is not the least muscle-bound and turns somersaults and hand springs with the ease of a professional acrobat. One of his tricks is to turn a back somersault with his feet tied together, his eyes blindfolded, and with a 56-pound dumbbell held in each hand ... Four men carry on stage an immense dumbbell, the bar of which is of brass about four feet long and the bells, which are hollow, three feet in diameter. With great effort Sandow raises the bat over his head with one arm, then dropping it, suddenly, catches it with both hands and places it lightly on the floor, whereupon the attendants release a man who had been hidden inside each bell ... Another feat is that of supporting with his arms and legs the weight of three horses ... with his back on the floor, a wooden platform is placed on him, resting on his shoulders, chest and knees ... a long wooden bridge is then placed across the platform and three horses then walk across the bridge ... when all three horses are on the bridge they are made to wait there for five seconds, while every muscle of the giant underneath stands out like whipchord. The Now world famous and a household name, Sandow ran an extensive mail order business from his London headquarters and served as a personal trainer to the royal family. He collaborated on many books and published a magazine entitled Sandow's Magazine of Physical Culture. Sandow died as the result of an automobile accident on October 16 1924, but left a legacy that would evolve through the likes of the Mr Universe contest and personalities such as Charles Atlas and Arnold Schwarzenegger. He is buried in Putney Vale Cemetery The present sculpture was presented by Eugen Sandow to C. Lang Neil who was his Advertising Manager on 1st January 1911. It is understood to be one of seven of these large statues commissioned by Sandow and given by him to a selection of individuals who helped further his career. The statue is sold with a black & white studio portrait photograph of C. Lang Neil which is signed and dedicated to his mother in 1929. PROVENANCE: C. Lang Neil, donee of the statue. Thence by family descent to the present vendor.