Arne Posted January 15, 2002 Share Posted January 15, 2002 Roark What was the name of the rare book by Desbonet that you mentioned some time ago? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roark Posted January 15, 2002 Share Posted January 15, 2002 Arne, Edmond Desbonnet was profiled by David Chapman in Ironman August 1990 page 96, and David outlines the contributuions that Desbonnet gave to the iron game, including his magazines etc. Edmond began La Culture Physique in 1904. The book is Les Rois de la Force (The Kings of Strength). A friend looking for a copy found one for $600. (yes, six hundred). It is written of course, in French. I am aware of two people who have translated it, one manuscript has probably been lost (Leo Gaudreau's) and the other I am not at liberty to reveal in specifics. Apparently David Willoughby, when he wrote his Kings of Strength series for Ironman, cut out photos from a copy of Les Rois de la Force for use with that series! So if you have seen Willoughby's Ironman series you will have a sense of the wondrous photos that are contained in the book. Years ago I urged John Balik to rerun the series for modern readers because many have not seen the mid 1950s magazines. John of course must consider the bottom line, and so far has not reprinted the series. A sound business decision; an unfortunate consequence for us because there was GREAT grip info in there. Opinion: An aside: I certainly am aware that many people enjoy general statements about the modern bodybuilding magazines and like to willy-nilly dismiss them. Ironman is now running a series on oldtimers by David Chapman, and Ironman has a lengthy history of respecting the oldtimers. In Flex, our Hall of Fame series has included some pioneers of modern bodybuilding. So the question becomes, how many pages of a magazine must interest a person before the urge to buy a magazine is justified? These magazines contain no more misinformation than do many of the forums on the net, where the only advantage to the misinformation is that it is free. Anyway if you can find the book, you will probably have found one of the rarest texts in muscledom. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arne Posted January 15, 2002 Author Share Posted January 15, 2002 Roark Thank you for all your infomation! Today I got a message from Lund University Libraries. They had found Edmond Desbonnet's book Les Rois de la Force. Hopefully I have the book in my hand´s very soon. Maybe I'm wrong, but I remember that you mention another very rare book here on Brip Board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roark Posted January 15, 2002 Share Posted January 15, 2002 Arne, I will ask David Chapman for a short list of rare books in the field; he knows FAR more than I about such books, and when I get the list I will post it for all to salivate over. Regarding old magazines, about which I do have some knowledge, Jan & Terry Todd and I composed what, so far as I know, is the only major listing of physical culture magazines, and presented it in Iron Game History years ago (March 1991). The earliest listed mag was The Journal of Health from 1829, when Wannagrip was just a mere lad. The list needs updating, but that probably will not happen anytime soon. Do you have that issue of IGH? Old grip toys were sometimes featured in the old mags; interesting reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roark Posted January 15, 2002 Share Posted January 15, 2002 Arne, and all collectors: Here is a complete list of Desbonnet's books as provided by David Chapman, who, it is only fair to mention, has a monthly column in Ironman: Un coup de tocsin avant le glas (Paris, 1913) [a warming bell before the death knell] Les rois de la force (1911) [The kings of strength] Les rois de la lutte (1910) [The kings of wrestling] Apollon: un demi-dieu de la force (1913?) [Apollon: Demi god of strength] Pour devenir fort et le rester (1916) [How to getstrong and stay so] La force physique: culture rationelle (1901) [Physical strength: rational bodybuilding] Pour devenir belle...et le rester (1911) [How to become beautiful and stay so] Comment on devient Athelte (1909) [How to become an athlete] L'Art de creer le pur-sang humain (1908 co author by Georges Rouhet) [The art of creating the thoroughbred human] Comment in obtient la force physique et la sante (1933, co author Pierre Chevillet) [How to achieve physical strength and health] La Gymnastique des organes (1936 co author Pierre Chevillet)) [Organ gymnastics] -compiled by David Chapman; thanks, David! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arne Posted January 15, 2002 Author Share Posted January 15, 2002 Roark! I'm very grateful for all your impressive replies! Arne Persson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.