Eugen Sandow (April 2, 1867 – October 14, 1925), born Friedrich Wilhelm Müller, was a Prussian pioneering bodybuilder in the 19th century and is often referred to as the “Father of Modern Bodybuilding”.
He was befriended by the likes of King George V of the United Kingdom, Thomas Edison and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. He was portrayed by the actor Nat Pendleton in the Academy Award winning film The Great Ziegfeld (1936). Sandow was also a close friend to classical pianist Martinus Sieveking, featuring him in his book Sandow’s System of Physical Training. Sieveking toured with Sandow and lived with him in New York City for a time.
As recognition of his contribution to the sport of bodybuilding, a bronze statue of Sandow sculpted by Frederick Pomeroy has been presented to the winner of the Mr. Olympia contest, a major professional bodybuilding competition sponsored by the International Federation of Bodybuilders, since 1977. This statue is simply known as “The Sandow”.
In 1994, David L. Chapman published a biography, entitled Sandow the Magnificent – Eugen Sandow and the Beginnings of Bodybuilding, in which he contends that Sandow was gay or bisexual. In 2002, Thomas Manly published For The Love Of Eugen, a ghost story featuring Sandow as the leading character.
