THE WORLD’S FIRST BODYBUILDING SHOW

Guests
Conor Heffernan | Lecturer in Sociology of Sport at Ulster University, founder of Physical Culture Study.
Conor’s work primarily focuses on the history of health, fitness and physical culture in Ireland, Great Britain and the United States. Aside from his lecturing position at Ulster University, he’s also the founder of Physical Culture Study, an expansive website where he’s written about a huge array of topics within physical culture, strength sports and bodybuilding. Conor has also published several books on physical culture, including ‘The History of Physical Culture’ and the upcoming ‘Indian Club Swinging and the Birth of Global Fitness’. Conor’s previous work has also included extensive research into William Lang Murray, the winner of Sandow’s 1901 Great Competition (Spoiler Alert!).
Sarah Carr | Great Grand-Niece of William Lang Murray.
Sarah found out about her distant relation to William when her mother, Betty Carr, took a particular interest in their family history. Betty was able to uncover family photos which revealed more about William’s time as a strongman, and his win at Sandow’s 1901 Great Competition. Betty’s mother was Jane Murray, one of William’s sisters. Today Betty’s one of the only people alive to have actually met William. As part of the research for this film, Sarah conducted an in depth conversation with Betty about William, where she was able to recount some fascinating details about his life.
Caroline Divers | Great Great Grand-Niece of William Lang Murray.
An avid swimming teacher and active individual, Caroline takes pride in her distant relation to William. It was thanks to Caroline’s efforts that I was able to communicate with Murray’s wider distant family, for which I am very grateful.
Special Thanks
Tony Walker | Great Grand-Nephew of William Lang Murray.
During the making of this film, Tony was kind enough to provide me with a host of old materials relating to William. This included various old photographs of him, newspaper clippings, and an October 1901 issue of Sandow’s Physical Culture Magazine, which has been preserved by the family for over a century. These materials have been highly beneficial and I am very grateful to Tony for his time in collating them all for me.
Gabrielle Kovalevskaja | Artist
When it came to recreating the look of Sandow’s 1901 Great Competition, Gabrielle’s sketches perfectly encapsulated the feel of the contest, and were instrumental when it came to forming the segment within the film. You can see more of her work here.
Voice Talent
Music
ANBR - Rain | Artlist
Fabien Tell - Other Sides of Glory | Epidemic Sound
Fabien Tell - The Farmer | Epidemic Sound
Jon Bjork - Spirit Seed | Epidemic Sound
Alec Slayne - The Search For More | Epidemic Sound
Emil Axelsson - I Think I Was There | Epidemic Sound
Gridded - Electronic Twitch | Epidemic Sound
Arthur Benson - Climbing the Fence | Epidemic Sound
Anthony Vega - Sniffy | Artlist
Jon Bjork - Working It Out | Epidemic Sound
Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen - The Road Less Travelled | Epidemic Sound
Arthur Benson - Running Through the Palace | Epidemic Sound
Howard Harper-Barnes - Progressive Progress | Epidemic Sound
Arthur Bensons - Behind You | Epidemic Sound
Arthur Bensons - Careless Wandering | Epidemic Sound
Ziv Grinberg - Its Fun Being a Cat | Artlist
Ian Post - Eminence Landscapes | Artlist
idokay - Life’s Journey Begins | Artlist
Fabien Tell - These Feelings | Epidemic Sound
Nobou - Dreamers | Artlist
Nobou - Silent Dreams | Artlist
Silver Maple - Reverse | Epidemic Sound
Ardie Son - A Soaring Swan Sister | Artlist
Sight of Wonders - Riding Home Safely | Epidemic Sound
Ardie Son - Particles | Artlist
Ian Post - Endless Fields, Pizzicato Version | Artlist
Jon Bjork - New Scenes | Epidemic Sound
Maya Belsitzman & Matan Ephrat - First Impression | Artlist
Southside Aces - Is Leroy On It | Artlist
Raymond Grouse - Pave the Way | Epidemic Sound
Ardie Son - First Sunrise | Artlist
Gavin Luke -The Sum Of All Things | Epidemic Sound
Sources
The Connoisseur, An Illustrated Magazine For Collectors, 1901 (Coverage of Sandow’s School of Physical Culture)
Volume XXV, P. 398-404 | Getty Research Institute
‘Sandow Turns Editor’, The Sketch, 1899 (Story on Sandow’s Magazine)
29 June 1898 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]Sandow’s Magazine of Physical Culture, Vol.1, 1898 (First outlining of Sandow’s Great Great Competition)
Eugen Sandow, Volume 01, July-December, P. 447, 481-482 | Wellcome Collection
Strength and How to Obtain It, 1897
Eugen Sandow, P. 32, 158 | Book sourced from own collection
Sandow The Magnificent, 1994
David L. Chapman, P 129-135 | Book sourced from own collection
Sandow on Physical Training : A Study in the Perfect Type of the Human Form, 1894
Eugen Sandow and Adam G. Mercer, P.237-238 | University of Toronto Library
‘Sandow here again', Anadarko Daily Democrat, 1901 (Sandow as an international icon)
13th November 1901 | Library of Congress
22nd April 1894 | Library of Congress
‘The Ladies Idolize Sandow’, The National Police Gazette (Sandow as an icon)
Open Court Publishing Co, Cover | Internet Archive
‘Cycling’, 1897 (Sandow promoting himself as an all round athlete)
13th March 1897 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
Sandow’s Magazine of Physical Culture, Vol. 2, 1899 (Ongoing coverage of Sandow’s Great Great Competition)
Eugen Sandow, 1899, Volume 02, Jan-June, P. 218, 402 | Extracts provided directly by Conor Heffernan
Sculpture Machine: Physical Culture and Body Politics in the Age of Empire, 1997 (References competitors for Sandow’s Great Competition)
Michael Anton Budd, P. 101-109 | Internet Archive
Sandow’s Magazine of Physical Culture, Vol. 7, 1901. (Coverage of Great Competition)
Eugen Sandow, Volume 07 No.37, October, P. 26-29, 288-292 | Physical copy provided by Tony Walker.
Bradford Daily Telegraph, 1899 (Sheffield Qualifier Coverage)
12th September 1899 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]6th October 1899 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
2nd December 1899 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
7th December 1899 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
‘Physical Culture in the South of England’, St James's Gazette, (Coverage of London Qualifier)
30th November 1899 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
‘Sandow’s School, Crystal Palace’ Morning Post, 1899 (Coverage of London Qualifier)
30th November 1899 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
‘Physical Culture in the South of England’, St James’s Gazette, 1899 (Coverage of London Qualifier)
30th November 1899 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
2nd December 1899 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
‘Physical Culture at the Crystal Palace’, Westminster Gazette, 1899 (Coverage of London Qualifier)
30th November 1899 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
12th September 1899 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
22nd September 1899 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
Bradford Weekly Telegraph, 1899 (Reference to Sheffield Qualifier)
16th September 1899 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
2nd December 1899 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
Torquay Times, and South Devon Advertiser, 1899 (Coverage of competitor E. J. Blunt)
8th December 1899 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
30th September 1899 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
15th September 1899 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
19th November 1898 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
9th December 1898 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
Bristol Mercury, 1898 (Large advert for Sandow’s Great Competition)
22nd November 1898 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
Dundee Courier, 1899 (Brief coverage of competitor W. Carroll)
9th February 1899 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
‘Physical Culture Competition’, Manchester Courier, 1899 (Coverage of Manchester Qualifier)
25th August 1899 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
Worcestershire Chronicle, 1899 (Coverage of competitors J. Gill, G. Hayes and F. A. Lewis)
7th October 1899 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
Bedfordshire Mercury, 1899 (Coverage of competitor G. Riley)
8th December 1899 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
Bedfordshire Mercury, 1899 (Coverage of competitors G. J. Benson and C.Hendrick)
1st December 1899 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
8th December 1899 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
Gloucester Citizen, 1899 (Coverage of Competitor A. I. Flowers)
9th December 1899 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
Northern Whig, 1899 (Coverage of competitor Alfred E. Francis, reference to Belfast Qualifier)
11th September 1899 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
14th August 1902 | Library of Congress
18th September 1899 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
Aberdeen Press and Journal, 1899 (Coverage of competitor H. Hall, reference to Edinburgh Qualifier)
4th October 1899 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
1st December 1899 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
26th May 1900 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
‘Health and Politics: The British Physical Deterioration Report of 1904, 1965
Bently B. Gilbert, Vol. 39, No. 2 March-April 1965, P. 143-153 | The John Hopkins University Press
Cambridge Daily News (Sandow hosts two lectures in Cambridge)
15th February 1900 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
‘Sandow at Cambridge’, Cambridge Daily News (More extensive article on Sandow lecturing in Cambridge
6th March 1900 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
The Daily Morning Journal and Courier, 1896 (Sandow on advertisement for Johann Hoff’s Malt Extract)
1st April 1896 | Library of Congress
‘Mr Sandow on Natural & Scientific Nerve Culture’, The Aeroplane, 1911
1911 | University of Illinois
‘Sandow’s Patent Spring Grip Dumbbells’, Ground Tumbling, 1910
1910 | Library of Congress
Modern Man, 1909 (Ad for Sandow’s Developer)
20th March 1909 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
‘Go to Sandow’, The Windsor Magazine, 1895
1895 | University of Michigan
Derby Daily Telegraph (Sandow hosts three lectures in Derby)
21st February 1900 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
Cambridge Daily News, 1900 (Sandow lectures in Cambridge)
28th February 1900 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
‘Sandow’s visit to Edinburgh’, Edinburgh Evening News
24th March 1900 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
Barbados Agricultural Reporter, 1900 (Advert for Strength and How to Obtain it)
9th October 1900 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
‘Burglars at Sandow's’, Edinburgh Evening News, 1898
24th August 1898 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
24th March 1906 | Library of Congress
‘M’Kinley Shot’, The Topeka State Journal, 1901
6th September 1900 | Library of Congress
‘Gone to the Beyond’, The Topeka State Journal, 1901
6th September 1900 | Library of Congress
28th January 1900 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
28th January 1900 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
'Penny Illustrated Paper, 1901 (Coverage of Great Competition, along with large sketch)
21st September 1901 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
21st September 1901 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
Leonard (Len Murray) Remembers Three Generations of a Textile Dyeing Family), Knitting International, 1989
April 1989 | Physical Extract provided by Tony Walker
‘Uncovering the History of William L. Murray, Bodybuilding’s First Champion’, 2022.
Conor Heffernan, P. 3-11 | Stark Center
30th September 1901 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
Volunteer Record & Shooting News, 1901 (Coverage of Great Competition)
13th September 1901 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
‘The Sandow Competition’, The People, 1901 (Coverage of Great Competition)
15th September 1901 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
18th September 1901 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
‘Sandow 1,000 Guineas Competition’, St James's Gazette, 1901 (Coverage of Great Competiton)
16th September 1901 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
‘Physical Culture at the Royal Albert Hall’, Norfolk News, 1901 (Coverage of Great Competition)
21st September 1901 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
19th September 1901 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
Portsmouth Evening News, 1901 (Short coverage of Great Competition)
16th September 1901 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
‘A Remarkable Athletic Display’, Pall Mall Gazette, 1901 (Coverage and review of Great Competition)
16th September 1901 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
‘The Sandow Competition’, Globe, 1901 (Coverage of the Great Competition)
16th September 1901 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
21st September 1901 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
15th September 1901 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
‘An Array of Strong Men’, Brecon County Times, 1901 (Coverage of Great Competition)
20th September 1901 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
18th September 1901 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
21st September 1901 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
The Stage, 1901 (Brief coverage of the Great Competition)
19th September 1901 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
19th September 1901 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
‘Sandow’s Plan’, The St. Louis Republic, 1901 (International Coverage of the Competition),
18th September 1901 | Library of Congress
27th October 1901 | Library of Congress
Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, 1901 (Coverage of Great Competition)
21st September 1901 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
21st September 1901 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
21st September 1901 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
‘A “Physical Culture” Display’, Westminster Gazette, 1901 (Coverage of Sandow’s Great Competition)
16th September 1901 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
2nd November 1901 | Trove
29th October 1901 | Trove
27th October 1902 | Trove
The Washington Times, 1901 (International coverage of Sandow’s Great Competition)
27th October 1901 | Library of Congress
24th February 1900 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
Memories and Adventures, 1994 (Doyle recites competition and interaction with W. L. Murray)
Arthur Conan Doyle, P 206-207 | Project Gutenberg
Albert E. Smythe in the 1901 England Census
Ancestry [Account Required to view]
Albert E. Smythe in the 1911 England Census
Ancestry [Account Required to view]‘Wrestling at the Lyceum’, Globe, 1906 (Albert E. Smythe looses high profile wrestling match)
23rd March 1906 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
‘Sandow’s Pupil Beaten’, Daily Mirror, 1906 (Albert E. Smythe looses high profile wrestling match)
26th January 1906 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
‘Wrestling’ Morning Post, 1906 (Further coverage of the above wrestling match)
26th January 1906 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
29th February 1908 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
Morning Leader, 1906 (Short ad for Albert E. Smythe’s wrestling match with Jack Smith)
25th January 1906 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
Port-Glasgow Express, 1910 (Small for Albert E. Smythe’s ad, referenced as ‘Sandow’s Favourite Pupil’
01 June 1910 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]30th May 1911 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
14th October 1909 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
1st December 1909 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
‘Albert E. Smythe’, Cleveland Standard, 1912 (Albert E. Smythe as a Theatre Manager)
24th August 1912 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
The Bioscope, 1913 (Albert E. Smythe as a Theatre Manager)
24th July 1913 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
Kinematograph Weekly, 1912 (Albert E. Smythe as a Theatre Manager)
26th September 1912 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
England Deaths and Burials, Albert Ernest Smythe, 1917
England Deaths and Burials, 1589-1991, Family Search [Account Required to view]
England and Wales Death Registration Index, Albert E. Smythe, 1917
Death Registration Index, 1837-2007, Ancestry [Account Required to view]
Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects, A E Smythe, 1917
Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1927 | Ancestry [Account Required to view]
21st October 1901 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
1st November 1902 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
‘Perfect Physique: Curious Contest in Leeds, 1903 (D. T. Cooper competing at a physique contest)
20th November 1903 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
20th November 1903 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
20th November 1903 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
21st November 1903 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
9th December 1903 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
14th March 1905 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
‘Heavy-Weight-Lifting and Posing by Professor Cooper’, Tenbury Wells Advertiser, 1907
19th November 1907 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
Daniel T. Cooper on the 1911 England Census
Ancestry [Account Required to view]
15th April 1922 | Trove
‘Y.M.C.A Gymnastic Display, Daily Telegraph (D. T. Cooper organises a gymnastic display)
14th August 1924 | Trove
Football News Nottingham, 1901 (W. L. Murray gives interview in aftermath of his win).
21st September 1901 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
‘A Strong Man In Norwich’, Eastern Evening News, 1904 (Interview with W. L. Murray)
22nd August 1904 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
London and Provincial Entr'acte, 1905 (Ad for W. L. Murray’s act in London)
3rd June 1905 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
03rd July 1903 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
‘Murray, Sandow Prize Winner’, Music Hall and Theatre Review, 1902 (Ad for W. L. Murray)
18th July 1902 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
18th October 1904 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
24th April 1902 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
24th March 1903 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
15th November 1905 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
Ireland's Saturday Night, 1908 (Ad for W. L. Murray’s act in Ireland)
17th October 1908 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
17th September 1908 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
Burnley Express, 1903 (Positive short review of W. L. Murray’s performance in Burnley)
23rd September 1903 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
‘W. L. Murray’, London and Provincial Entr'acte, 1905 (Ad for W. L. Murray’s act)
20th May 1905 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
Belfast News-Letter, 1908 (Ad for W. L. Murray’s act in Belfast)
13th May 1908 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
Staffordshire Sentinel, 1904 (Article on W. L. Murray’s act and feats)
19th January 1904 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
Eastbourne Chronicle, 1907 (Description of W. L. Murray’s performance in Eastborne)
17th December 1907 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
‘Winner of the Gold Sandow Statuette’, Football News, 1906 (Small article on W. L. Murray)
31st March 1906 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
11th April 1908 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
Lancaster Standard and County Advertiser, 1909 (W. L. Murray’s show described as ‘magnificent)
8th April 1909 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
Oxford Journal, 1910 (W. L. Murray makes his last known appearance as a strongman)
5th October 1910 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
Derby Daily Telegraph (W. L. Murray headlines a show in Derby)
22nd April 1902 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
Derbyshire Advertiser and Journal (W. L. Murray headlines a show in Derby)
25th April 1902 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
02nd October 1908 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
Nottingham Journal, 1908 (W. L. Murray performs in Nottingham)
30th October 1908 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
Sheerness Guardian and East Kent Advertiser, 1908 (W. L. Murray performs in Sheerness)
15th February 1908 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
‘The Newcastle Hippodrome’, Northern Echo, 1912 (W. L. Murray takes up a role as a manager of the Newcastle Hippodrome)
23rd November 1912 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]March 15th, 1890 | Library of Congress
July 25th, 1890 | Library of Congress
April 9th, 1896 | Library of Congress
November 2nd 1891 | Library of Congress
‘Marvels of Femininity who are preparing to contest’, Pine Bluff Daily Graphic, 1895 (article focusing on prominent strongwomen from the time, showing the kinds of audacious feats that strongwomen from this time claimed.
July 21st, 1895 | Library of Congress
28th November 1896 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
April 29th, 1898 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
October 17th, 1898 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007, William L Murray
1949 | Family Search [Account Required to view]
Nottingham Evening Post (W. L. Murray’s trophy is uncovered)
29th May 1975 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
07th April 1900| British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
Worthing Gazette, 1910 (Article covering Murray’s transition into theatre business management
09th March 1910 | British Newspaper Archive [Account Required to view]
[if you somehow made it to the bottom of this list just know that I still need to update further]