Author Archives: Dennis Mitchell

Alfred Monte Woolaston – AKA Monte Saldo

by Dennis Mitchell

Monte Saldo - displaying a very muscular pose

Alfred Monte Woolaston was born in 1879 in Highgate, London England.  His father, Fredrick Woolaston was a shoe manufacturer, a Methodist preacher, and a faith healer.  Alfred developed an interest in strength at an early age and in his early teens was a member of the London weightlifting club, where he came in contact with many notable lifters.  His family encouraged him, especially his uncle a police inspector, who being very prominent socially, managed to arrange for him to become an apprentice to Eugene Sandow at Sandow’s gym.  Alfred was a hard worker and not only improved his strength, but learned much about performing, while helping Sandow in his stage performances.

In 1900 Alfred teamed up with Ronco, an Italian strongman, and they became “Ronco and Monte” ( Alfred was now known as Monte Saldo ) and opened at the Cafe Chantant, Crystal Palace,  where they were very successful.  After their engagement at the Crystal Palace they went on a tour of Europe where their act so impressed an English theatrical agent they got a six month contract to appear at the Royal Aquarium in Westminster, London.  This was during the “Golden Years of Strongmen”.  It was common for strongmen performers to offer large amounts of money to their spectators if they could duplicate any of their feats of strength.  While they never had to pay anyone, their challenges did result in setting up a contest between Monte and a lifter named Charles Russell.  Russell was the British amateur 140 pound champion.  Russell could not duplicate any of Monte’s stage lifts, however he did challenge Monte to the five lifts used in amateur competition.  Monte accepted the challenge, even though he did not train on these lifts and Russell was the winner.  Monte learned his lesson and never went into another contest until he trained on the contest lifts.  Ronco and Monte’s act was so successful their performance was extended beyond the six months.  At the end of their engagement at the Royal Aquarium, Ronco and Monte ended their partnership.  Ronco went back to Italy and Monte and his brother Frank formed their own act and performed in Dresden, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Saxony, Prague and in Parism where they were regulars at Professor Desbonnet’s gym.  During a performance in Hamburg they were offered a full season contract by Frank Glennister to perform at the London Pavilion.  It was at the Pavilion that Monte would support a car, with passengers, in the support known as “The Tomb of Hercules”.  An amazing feat for a man weighing only 144 pounds.  For a time Monte did a solo act, but in 1906 he and his brother Frank joined up again to perform a new act called “The Sculptor’s Dream” .  The act began with the sculptor admiring his latest work, a statue of a muscular athlete.  The statue was placed before a mirror so that the audience could see both it’s front and back.  The sculptor, tired from his work fell asleep on the studio couch.  At this point the statue came to life and went through a series of poses in front of the mirror so the audience could view both the front and back of the statue.  Suddenly the statue reached through the mirror and pulled out his reflection (his brother Frank) and they did acrobatics, hand to hand balancing, lifting each other and wrestling, all synchronized to music.  As the sculptor woke up the statue and his reflection returned to their original position as the act ended.

Next in the career of Monty, he teamed up with William Bankier (Apollo) and opened the Apollo Academy in London. Their Academy attracted many of the famous lifters and wrestlers of that time.  It was at the Academy that Arthur Saxon did a bent press with 386 pounds.  It was weighed and witnessed by the editor of Health and Strength magazine, Bill Klein, also John Murry and William Bankier (Apollo).  Monte was hailed as one of the best trainers, and next teamed up with Max Sick, who was professionally known as Maxick.  Together they marketed the Maxaldo Method of Muscle Control which was a method of training using no equipment, to improve muscle development, speed and stamina.  The name was later changed to Maxalding, and the course was sold  into the 1970’s.

Monte was active in organizing the British Amateur Weightlifting Association, (BAWLA) and served on the committee for professional lifters.  Monte weighed 144 pounds, stood 5’5″, had a 17″ neck, 45.5″ chest, 16″ arms, 13″ forearms, 30″ waste, 23″ thighs and 15,5″ calves.  He could bent press 230 pounds and was the first man in England to do a one arm swing with more than body weight, doing 150 pounds.  He is credited with showing that the swing was best done with a dumbbell loaded unevenly, with more weight on the back end of the bell.

Monte was a very well educated man.  He was a very good musician, and was fluent in several languages.  World war II was very devastating for Monte’s family.  His wife was killed during a bombing raid on London.  Monty and his daughter, Theresa, were seriously injured, and his son was killed during the invasion of Europe.  Monty never fully recovered from his injuries and the loss of his wife and son.  He passed away at the age of seventy in 1949.

Apollo – William Bankier

by Dennis Mitchell

A classical strongman pose by William "Apollo" Bankier.

William Bankier was born in Banff Scotland, December 10, 1870.  His parents were school teachers.  As a youngster he was fascinated by the circus, and at the age of twelve he ran away from home to  become a laborer at a circus.  This lasted only a short time as his father soon caught up with him and took him back home.  After a few months at home William once again ran away to get  employment on a ship.  A shipwreck ended this job and he ended up in Montreal Canada where he got a job working on a farm.  It was hard work and low wages.  He was now fourteen years old.  He had an opportunity to join Porgie O’Brien’s road show, so he left the farm and once again he ran away.  One of the acts in the show was a strong man and William spent any free time he had watching and learning from him.  William was now fifteen years old.

While the strong man was a good performer he was also a heavy drinker, and one day was unable to perform.  William performed in his place, and while he was not as accomplished as the strong man he put on satisfactory show.  As the strong man missed more shows, William continued to perform in his place and continued to improve and progress as a performer and strong man.  He stayed with the O’Brien show for about a year, and then joined William Muldoon’s entourage of athletes.   Muldoon changed William’s name, and he now became, Carl Clyndon the Canadian Strong Boy. At this time he also added wrestling to his act.  After a time he felt it was time to move on and he teamed up with Jack Kilrain, a former heavy weight boxing champion.  He remained with Jack until he was seventeen years old, and added boxing to his other talents.  His next move was to team up with “Buffalo Bill Cody’s” wild west show.  From there he joined the Ginnett Circus for three months, and once again was on the move.  While still performing as Carl Clydon  he was spotted by one of the owners of the Bostock Circus, known for having the best performers and acts.  It was with the Bostock Circus that he became a truly polished and outstanding performer.  One of  his most outstanding acts was to do a harness lift with a full grown elephant.  No tricks were used, it was a true lift.

While in Bournemouth England, at the suggestion of Sir John Everett Millais, who later was President of the Royal Academy, Carl Clydon changed his name to Apollo.  He traveled around the world  performing to large audiences.  He was an excellent performer and hailed to be as good as Sandow.  This was in 1899.  He even challenged Sandow to a contest in weightlifting, wrestling, running, and  jumping.  Sandow did not accept his challenge.  Apollo opened his act with a posing display.  He was not a big men standing 5’6.5″, weighed 175 pounds, had a 47″ chest and 15.75″ arms.  His legs were exceptionally well developed.  In the event known as the “Tomb of Hercules” he could support a piano with a six person orchestra and a dancer.  He could jump over the back of a chair either frontwards or backwards wile holding a 56 pound weight in each hand.  He would end his performance by offering ten English pounds to anyone who could carry a large sack off stage.  Many people tried, including Arthur Saxon, and could not do it.   Apollo would finish his performance by carrying the sack off stage.  The sack weighed 475 pounds.  After retiring from the stage, Apollo became a wrestling promoter, and later teamed up with Monte Saldo ( who we will write about in an other article ) and opened the Apollo-Saldo Academy.  Many well known amateur and professional wresters, boxers , and jiu-jitsu competitors trained at the Academy.  William Bankier, better known as Apollo, died in 1949 at the age of 80.

Luigi Borra

by Dennis Mitchell

Luigi "Milo" Borra posing at around 28 years of age.

Luigi Borra was born in Milan Italy, January 14, 1866.  As a young man he was active in gymnastics, wrestling and weightlifting.  At the age of twenty three, he gave up employment as a telegraph instrument maker and joined the circus as a wrestler.  From there he joined the Folies Bergere also as a wrestler.  He had a good physique and was a good poser. He performed throughout Europe in music halls and theaters, combining gymnastics, posing, and feats of strength. It was while performing that he met Louis Attila.  Attila convinced Luigi to return to England with him so that Attilla could manage and promote him and arrange for bookings.  However, Attila’s motives were not only for Luigi’s benefit.  Louis Attila had been traveling and performing with Eugene Sandow.  A quarrel between Sandow and Attila caused their break up.  Attila went to Paris and later returned to England with Luigi.  He intended to use Luigi as a new performer to dethrone Sandow.  Luigi was a small man and unknown in England.  Attila knew that Sandow would not meet any well known performer and hoped to get revenge by having Luigi challenge Sandow in wrestling and in feats of strength. Sandow, after his defeat by the McKann brothers was not accepting any challenges, and there were quite a few of them. Attila claimed that Sandow would not meet Luigi, as Luigi had defeated Sandow in wrestling in Italy.  However Attila could not show any proof of this.  Some years later (1894) when Attila opened his Broadway gym, they became friends again.

One of Luigi’s acts was to place a 200 pound barbell on his shoulders.  Six 56 pound block weights were attached to a harness that Luigi was wearing, and two men would hang onto the ends of the barbell.  The total weight being over 1,000 pounds.  Luigi would turn around three times while supporting the weight.  He would also hang by his teeth while doing a crucifix with a pair of 50 pound dumbbells.  He would juggle an 80 pound kettlebell and with the left hand, would clean and bent press 225 pounds.  He only weighed 160 pounds.  He would press up into a hand stand while lifting 200 pounds with his teeth.

Brinn "the Cannon Ball King", aka Luigi Borra, supporting a a 500 pound motorcycle by a chin pole.

He continued performing under Attila’s management, and as many strongmen did, changed his name to Milo.  For a short time he did some exhibitions with Louis Cyr.  With the rising popularity of the Saxon Trio, Luigi stopped performing for a while, but later reappeared as Brinn – The Cannon Ball King.  His act opened December 28, 1903 at the Hippodrome Theater in Liverpool.  His act consisted of juggling, hand balancing and balancing a cannon or a motorcycle at the end of a pole on his chin.  He was able to do this with a 400 pound cannon.  He not only performed in England but also in Germany and Italy.  He was an excellent performer, and showman, well liked, and performed for many years.  After retiring from performing he ran a bar called the Grafton Arms.  At the weight of 167 pounds he stood 5’5.25″, chest 46.5″, biceps 15.75″, thigh 23.5″, and calf 15.75″.  He died January 19, 1955 at Twyford in Berkshire, England.  He was 89 years old.

Charles Batta

by Dennis Mitchell

Charles Batta

Charles Batta, whose real name was Charles Estienne, was born August 17, 1866 in Lille France. It was evident even as a young boy that he had unusual strength. Batta never wanted to be a competitive weight lifter. His ambition was to be strongman performer, and he started his career at age fifteen performing in local cafes. His earnings came from the donations of the patrons. He later joined a troupe of traveling athletes. It was not an easy life, and there was no guaranteed income. They traveled by wagon from city to city performing at fairs and celebrations. He considered this to be his apprenticeship. He was quite successful and became quite famous as a strong man. This, however, made some of the bigger and more experienced performers envious of his success. One performer became so angry that he broke a chair over Batta’s head. Batta’s earnings progressed from the spectators donations to a salary of one franc per day, then to 25 francs per week, and by the time he was nineteen yeas old, to 50 francs per day. Again his success had the disadvantage of enraging one of his fellow performers, a giant of a man named Lepi who forced Batta into a fight. Batta was never a person who would back down from a fight or a challenge. He beat Lepi so badly that he was never bothered by any other performer. While performing in Brussels at the Alcazar Cafe Concert, he was earning 70 francs per day. On day while the performers were at dinner, Louis Attila walked in with one of his pupils who was seeking employment at the Alcazar. While waiting for the manager to return Attila’s pupil started to demonstrate the strength of his grip, using chairs and other objects at hand. He stated that no one could duplicate his feats of hand strength. Batta took the challenge and duplicated all of his lifts. Attila’s pupil did however go on to become quite famous under the name of Eugen Sandow. One of Batta’s demonstrations was, while seated, to hold his hand, palm down about one half inch over an upright needle. A forty four pound block weight was placed on the back of his hand. He would hold it there at arms length for about eight seconds, and then stand up still holding the weight at arms length. Though primarily a performer Batta could one arm snatch 154.5 pounds, put over head 209 pounds with one hand, and hold by the ring a weight of 55 pounds at arms length. During his performance he would lift 259 pounds over head with ease.  One of Batta’s challenges was to place a glass of water, a bottle, some gold rings and other jewels plus some gold coins on the seat of a straight back chair. He would then lift the chair with one hand at arms length by one of the horizontal rungs and not spill any of the water. He offered what was on the chair to anyone who could duplicate his lift. No one ever did. Batta’s performance included lifting a horse, a muscle control demonstration, lifting weights and people. In the support known as the “Tomb of Hercules” he would support a loaded cannon which was then fired by an assistant. The only contest that Batta did not win was against the famous Apollon. He did duplicate one of Apollon’s feats by lifting four 44 pound block weights over head with one hand, each weight tied to a finger. He also cleaned (not jerked) Apollon’s rail road wheels. Apollon was so impressed with Batta that they remained friends for life. No strong man article is complete without a list of his measurements. At the age of nineteen Batta stood 5’9.5″, weighed 194 pounds, chest 49″, biceps 17″, forearms 14.5″, waist 33.5″, thighs 25″, calves 16.25″ neck 17.25″, and wrists 8.5″. Charles Batta died June 7, 1931 at the age of 65 yeas.

Hall of Fame Biography – John C. Grimek class of 1993

by Dennis Mitchell

John Grimek - This photo is from the cover of the February, 1969 issue of Muscular Development.

John Grimek was born June 17, 1910 in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. He got his interest in weightlifting and body building from his older brother George. John stated that his brother was bigger and stronger than he was, but just didn’t have the interest in the Iron Game that he had. John’s first competition in weightlifting was in 1934 where he took a first place as a heavy weight in New Jersey with a total of 710 pounds. Later that same year he entered his first National meet in Brooklyn. His press of 242.5 pounds was the highest of the meet. However he failed to total due to his lack of training in the snatch and clean and jerk. The following year he placed second to Bill Good in a five lift meet with a total of 1,072 pounds. The five lifts were the one hand snatch, the clean and jerk which had to be done with the opposite hand used in the snatch, the two hands press, snatch and the clean and jerk.

John then moved to York PA. to improve his training. In the 1936 National meet in Philadelphia he pressed 285.5 pounds, snatched 220 pounds, and clean and jerked 308 pounds. He placed first in the heavy weight class while weighing just two pounds over the light heavy limit. His press was a National record. Later the same year he competed in the Olympics in Germany. Though he did not place he lifted more than any other American lifter. In 1937 he reduced to the light heavy weight class for the Sr. National meet in Detroit. In this meet he was to light and was not at his best. But in 1938 he won the Jr. National meet with an 810 pound total in the light heavy weight class. At this time, before physique contest were added to the lifting meets, John continued to compete in lifting. In 1938 still lifting as a light heavy weight he made a total of 830 pounds. (261 press, 245 snatch, and a 325 clean and jerk). John’s best meet was in the 1940 Sr. National meet held in Madison Square Garden, where he did a 285 pound press, snatched 250 pounds and a clean and jerk of 325 pounds. He placed third behind Steve Stanko and Louis Abele. However he did win the Mr. America physique contest, and at this point decided to put his efforts into body building.

In 1941 he once again won the Mr. America contest. The AAU then made a rule that once you won the Mr. America contest you could not enter it again. The first Mr. Universe contest was held in 1947. John could not enter because the AAU said that he was a professional because of his work with the York Barbell Co. However the 1948 contest was open to both amateurs and professionals and he became Mr. Universe. In 1949 he won the Mr. USA contest in a highly publicized meet as it had become a battle between the IFBB organization and the York Barbell organization.

John died November 24 1998, having never been defeated in a body building contest.

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