IRON GAME HISTORY VOL.5No.4&VOL. 6 No. 1 IRON GAME HISTORY ATRON SUBSCRIBERS THE JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CULTURE P Gordon Anderson Jack Lano VOL. 5 NO. 4 & VOL. 6 NO. 1 Joe Assirati James Lorimer SPECIAL DOUBL E I SSUE John Balik Walt Marcyan Vic Boff Dr. Spencer Maxcy TABLE OF CONTENTS Bill Brewer Don McEachren Bill Clark David Mills 1. John Grimek—The Man . Terry Todd Robert Conciatori Piedmont Design 6. lmmortalizing Grimek. .David Chapman Bruce Conner Terry Robinson 10. My Friend: John C. Grimek. Vic Boff Bob Delmontique Ulf Salvin 12. Our Memories . Pudgy & Les Stockton 4. I Meet The Champ . Siegmund Klein Michael Dennis Jim Sanders 17. The King is Dead . .Alton Eliason Mike D’Angelo Frederick Schutz 19. Life With John. Angela Grimek Lucio Doncel Harry Schwartz 21. Remembering Grimek . .Clarence Bass Dave Draper In Memory of Chuck 26. Ironclad. .Joe Roark 32. l Thought He Was lmmortal. Jim Murray Eifel Antiques Sipes 33. My Thoughts and Reflections. .Ken Rosa Salvatore Franchino Ed Stevens 36. My Visit to Desbonnet . .John Grimek Candy Gaudiani Pudgy & Les Stockton 38. Best of Them All . .Terry Robinson 39. The First Great Bodybuilder . Jim Lorimer Rob Gilbert Frank Stranahan 40. Tribute to a Titan . .Tom Minichiello Fairfax Hackley Al Thomas 42. Grapevine . Staff James Hammill Ted Thompson 48. How Steve Reeves Trained . .John Grimek 50. John Grimek: Master of the Dance. Al Thomas Odd E. Haugen Joe Weider 64. “The Man’s Just Too Strong for Words”. John Fair Norman Komich Harold Zinkin Zabo Koszewski Co-Editors . , . Jan & Terry Todd FELLOWSHIP SUBSCRIBERS Business Manager . .Kim Beckwith Anonymous Anthony Lukin Executive Editor . Dorothy J. Lovett Bob Bacon John Makarewich Regis Becker Rolan Malcolm Editorial Board . John Balik (Santa Monica, CA), Jack Alfred C. Berner Stephen Maxwell Berryman (Univ. of Washington, Seattle), Vic Boff (For Howard Bovell Robert McNall Meyers, FL), John Fair (Georgia College & University Bernard Brand Louis Mezzanote Milledgeville, GA), William Goetzmann (Univ. of Texas Jerry Byrd Rosemary Miller Austin), Charles Kupfer (Michigan State Univ.), Grove Massimo Capoccioni Tom Minichiello Bill Nicholson Porter (Univ. of Alabama, Huntsville), Joe Roark (St. Joseph Vera Christensen Ralph Darr Paul Niemi IL), Al Thomas (Ocean City, NJ), Dave Webster (h-vine Martha Deal William Norman Scotland). Clyde Doll Kevin O’Rourke Donald Efird Rick Perkins Iron Game History is published by the McLean Sports His- Marvin Eder Joe Ponder tory Fellowship at the University of Texas at Austin, under the auspices of Alton Eliason Dr. Grover Porter he Department of Kinesiology and Health Education. U.S. subscription Michael Fajack John Prendergast rate: $20.00 per four issues, $35.00 per eight issues. McLean Fellowship Harold Gelchinsky Barret Pugach subscriptions $50.00 per eight issues; patron subscriptions $100.00 per Dr. Peter George Joseph Puleo eight issues. Canada & overseas subscriptions: $25.00 per four issue Howard Havener William Putnam and $40.00 per eight issues. U.S. funds only. See page 72 for details. Dykes Hewitt Raymond Rogers John Higgins Dr. Ken “Leo” Rosa Marvin Hollan Mark Ruskoski Address all correspondence and subscription requests to: Iron Raymond Irwin John T. Ryan Game History, Anna Hiss Gym #22, The University of Texas, Austin Angelo Iuspa Dr. Joseph Sansolo Texas 78712. Telephone: 512-471-4890. Fax: 512-488-0114. Email: Serafin Izquierdo George Schumacher [email protected]. Website: www.edb.utexas.edu/faculty/jtodd/in- Daniel Kostka Bernard Smith dex.html. Walter Kroll Bob Summer Thomas Lee Edward Sweeney Iron Game History is a non-profit enterprise. Sol Lipsky Lou Tortorelli Robert J. Liquari Reuben Weaver Postmaster: Send address corrections to: IGH, Anna Hiss John Long Gym #22, UT, Austin, Texas 78712. (ISSN 1069-7276) 2 IRON GAME HISTORY VOL.5No.4&VOL. 6 No. 1 IMMORTALIZING GRIMEK DAVID CHAPMAN PHOTOS COURTESY LON HANAGAN One of the most famous images in the iron game of his muscularity. He had been victorious in the Mr. is the photograph of John Grimek leaning on a gleam- America contest in both 1940 and 1941, and since he ing white pillar, one impressive arm lifted upward, and had shown every sign of continuing to win the compe- the other one angled downward to the pillar. Grimek’s tition, the rules had to be changed making victory a knee is bent slightly as it echoes the curve of his one-shot deal. It was therefore as the most perfectly upraised arm, and the athlete’s earnest face looks built man in the world that Grimek entered Lon Hana- upward to the sky. The pose, the physique, and the gan’s Second Avenue apartment. lighting all contribute to the overall impact of this In addition to being a photographer, Lon was marvelous image. It is a classic—a genuine icon of the also a very competent musician. For many years he sport. The story of how this picture was taken reveals had been a professional organist and worked regularly not only some reasons for its greatness, but it also at Radio City Music Hall, but it was Lon’s phono- shows that the ephemeral conjunction of time, place, graph record collection that first grabbed Grimek’s and participants must all be right in order to produce a eye. According to Venables, the photographer had memorable photograph. “more albums than our music store in York.” John By 1942 physique photographer Lon Hanagan loved classical music, and he asked if Venables could had been taking pictures of New York bodybuilders put some music on the phonograph while he posed. for several years, and several of his shots had even Lon agreed enthusiastically. So with the stirring, been used on the cover of Strength & Health maga- graceful tones of Sibelius’s Second Symphony playing zine. Eventually, his technical prowess and artistic accompaniment, Grimek stripped and began to pose. sense attracted the attention of John Grimek, so the Lon had set up a large mirror directly behind the athlete decided to drive up to New York from his camera so that John could see himself and correct his Pennsylvania home and pose for some photographs. poses. In the meantime, Lon balanced his camera on a Bodybuilding journalist Gord Venables accompanied stack of 78’s and began making physique photography him to record what they all sensed would be an history. important event. It was the article by Venables that John did not have a definite set of poses to go appeared in April of 1943 that provided the best into. Rather, he did what was part of his muscle written evidence of the events that followed. control routine, and he gracefully slid from one set of At the age of 32, John Grimek was at the peak poses to another as seamlessly as the symphony that 6 APRIL 1999 IRON GAME HISTORY THE MOST FAMOUS IMAGE IN THE HISTORY OF BODYBUILDING– JOHN GRIMEK AS PHOTOGRAPHEDBY LON HANAGAN NEW YORK CITY, 1942 J OHN NEVER HUNG PHOTOGRAPHS OF HIMSELF IN HIS HOMEBUT AFTER HIS DEATH HIS WIFE ANGELA HAS PUT SEVERAL PHOTOS ON DISPLAY AS A WAY OF KEEPING HIS MEMORY FRESH. THE IMAGE ABOVE IS IN HER BEDROOM AND IT WAS THE FIRST ONE SHE HUNG. 7 IRON GAME HISTORY VOL.5No.4&VOL. 6 No. 1 was playing on the console. The results of this combi- Lon knew at once that he had achieved something nation were majestic. Grimek never looked more wonderful: the picture has a three-dimensional quality massive, and thanks to his inherent ability to pose that it would not have had otherwise. The rich blacks gracefully, he was able to display his muscularity to and the bright highlights combined to form a gorgeous great effect. Some of the poses called for Grimek to be whole. He and Grimek had collaborated to create a semi-relaxed and others demanded the illusion of ac- classic image of muscularity. tion, but he succeeds in appearing bold, massive, and Later, when he was asked what made that pic- masculine no matter what the pose. ture so great, Lon theorized that the reason for its “I left the posing to John,” Lon confirmed. “He success was because it was unique. “I could never really knew what he was doing, so I didn’t interfere duplicate that picture,” he explains. “It was one of a very much.” Fortunately, Lon was as artful at lighting kind.” The real reason for its success, however, may as John was at posing, and Grimek had the good sense be more brilliant than either of the creators suspected to leave the technical side of things to the photogra- at the time. The picture represents a series of contrasts pher. Lon used only three lights: one overhead for that offer a subtle, unspoken, and almost imperceptible general illumination and two photofloods. One of these appeal. For instance, there is a tension between the was a small Photoflood No. 2 in a Victor Reflector graceful “S” curves created by the athlete’s arm and fitted with clamps so that it could be fastened any- knee and the stone-like pillar against which he rests—it where. is a contrast between the living flesh and the deathless In all, Lon took two dozen poses; about fifteen stone. The Greek column also serves as an emblem of of these were against a black background and the rest classical eternity, and it reminds us that the stone is were against a white background. Toward the end of beautiful but lifeless, just like all great works of art. the session, Lon brought out a prop pillar, and he took This is contrasted with the flesh, blood, and sinew of a several pictures of John sitting or leaning up against living human being who represents the apex of physical the plaster pedestal as Grimek tried out several poses.