Barbells and Bios

  Published by the Italian physician Hieronymous Mercurialis in the sixteenth century, De Arte Gymnastica has long been cited by historians as a pivotal moment in the revival of European gymnastics. Coming at a time when interest in Greco-Roman culture was growing, Mercurialis’ work was one of the first monographs to focus almost exclusively on exercise and...

  Donated to the Stark Center by Phyllis Jowett, the Jowett Anvil belonged to the late George F. Jowett. George, as many individuals are aware, was a British-Canadian physical culturist who, among other things, helped further the cause of American bodybuilding and weightlifting. A strong man in his own right, Jowett’s claim to fame was...

Iron Boots are an item long since forgotten by the fitness industry. Difficult to put on, dangerously loose at times and quite awkward to use, it is unlikely that the boots were built to last the tests of time. Tucked away in the back end of the Stark Center’s archives are several pairs of Iron...

Lifting in his prime during the 1930s and 1940s, Bob Peoples boasted a strength impressive even today. At his very best, Peoples deadlifted over seven hundred pounds at a body weight hovering around one hundred and eighty pounds.

  Fans of the Iron Game will undoubtedly be familiar with the name Peary Rader. For more than fifty years, Peary, and his wife Mabel, oversaw the organization, publication and popularization of Iron Man magazine from their home town in Nebraska. They also proved pivotal in the organization of American weightlifting, powerlifting and bodybuilding, for...