Electrotype and Printing Blocks Featuring Male Body Building Advertisements from the 1920s-1950s

MACFADDEN, Bernarr and others

Publication Date: 1950

About this Item

A collection of 87 steel or zinc line blocks and copper electrotype blocks illustrated by various artists between 1920 and 1950 featuring body builder advertisements and ads to obtain the "perfect body." The blocks measure from 2.5" x 2.5" by 10.5" x 7" and are all near fine with some discoloring from oxidation. The advertisements range from full page ads to small single blocks and focus specifically on illustrations of body builders: "Hey, you skinny bag of bones," is printed on one of the advertisements depicting a stocky young man telling the reader he used to be skinny just like them, but now he's a true "HE-MAN." Beefy young men are featured in most of the advertisements, usually flexing their muscles and insulting thinner, less muscular men. Some of the blocks feature little comic strips about thin men getting bullied until they try the workout regimen on the advertisements and become huge hulking men able to stand up for themselves. The rest of the advertisements present themselves as real life stories about young readers who were once thin becoming "HE-MEN". Many of the advertisements match those seen in *Physical Culture,* a magazine published and founded by Bernarr Macfadden in 1899. Macfadden was a bodybuilder who sold his popular chest expander and through publishing gained a following in the early 20th century. His magazine was centered on fitness regimens, diets, and different ways to tone and add muscle to the body. In 1921, Macfadden helped to push Charles Atlas into the spotlight for the physical movement. Atlas was one of the more prominent and popular body builders during the 1920s. He won several awards and was frequently used in advertisements by Macfadden. The plates that depict Atlas feature his story of being a tiny weakling getting sand kicked into his face on the beach, but coming back to beat up the beach bully after gaining muscles the Atlas way. A substantial collection of electrotype and printing blocks featuring body builder advertisements from the early 1920s to the 1950s.

Seller Inventory # 415631

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Electrotype and Printing Blocks Featuring Male Body Building Advertisements from the 1920s-1950s
• Publication Date: 1950
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Near Fine
• Seller catalogs:
  • Art / Illustration