The history of weightlifting and bodybuilding was, for far too long, a sport dominated by men. How, when and where women first entered the gym is a topic of considerable interest for academics. While the […]
Tag: British Pathé
Thomas Inch in Later Life
Thomas Inch is one of the most fascinating physical culturists of the twentieth century. He was a pivotal figure in the organisation of British weightlifting, helped coach Arthur Saxon and was a great strong man […]
British Pathé 1960s British Strongman
My love of old British Pathé footage aside, the above video marks a rather remarkable insight into the still existent world of strongmen training in 1960s Britain. Harold Cope, our Derby lifter shown here, is still […]
Doug Hepburn in Action! (British Pathé, 1953)
Admittedly this site has not given Doug Hepburn his due. A Canadian by birth, Hepburn was known the world over not only for his weightlifting and strongman feats. The above video shows Hepburn at the […]
Harold the Champion Nail Breaker! (British Pathé, 1963)
Continuing my love of old British Pathé videos is today’s post on Harold ‘the Champion Nail Breaker’. Based in Derbyshire, Harold’s feats of strength and not only impressive but also shine a light on a […]
Fascist Physical Culture in 1930s Germany
In 1930s Europe, especially in the first half of the decade, the government sponsored fitness campaigns found in fascist regimes garnered a great deal of envy. As Charlotte MacDonald detailed in her fantastic work on […]
Exercise By Hypnosis Aka Gym Hypnotist (1958)
In the past I’ve made my fondness for British Pathé videos pretty clear and the above video perhaps demonstrates why. While I cannot endorse many of the claims found in the video – weaker sex, light weight […]
Thomas Inch, Comedy Weightlifting Routine (1915)
For previous readers of the blog, you’ll recall my fondness for old British Pathé videos. The above clip features Thomas Inch performing a comedy weightlifting routine from 1915. Physical culture aficionados will no doubt appreciate […]
Strength! Featuring Saxon Brown (1930)
Born in England in the early 1900s, Saxon Brown (real name Henry Brown) was briefly lauded during the 1930s as ‘Britain’s strongest youth‘ & ‘the world’s strongest young man’. Though his time in the physical […]