SANDOW
"GRIP" DUMB-BELLS
(or Dumbells)
Sandow
developed these dumbells and had a patent on them. Once in
a while, they come up for sale in on-line auctions and antique
shops. Sandow advertised these dumbells would "last a
lifetime"... he was certainly right... many of these
devices that were cared for over the years work just as well
100 years after they were made.
It
is important to note that although these exercisers, by todays
standards, do not do much to develop a persons body, they
were advertised to a population that had little idea of the
benefits of exercise. Sandow was among the first to advocate
a healthy lifestyle and a regular "constitutional"
of diet, fresh air, walks, and exercise with weights. It could
be said Sandow was among the very first to promote any form
of exercise at all. These dumbells were among the first commercially
available home exercise devices ever marketed.
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(above)
The original simple Sandow patented "grip" dumbells
with cardboard box and wall chart. This particular example shows
the "set for boys", which weighed 1 lb. each.
(above)
This is the deluxe version with the leather covered grips. The
less expensive set came without this feature and was made of a
less-expensive metal. These dumbells came in a beautiful tin box
with fine lithographic art. They also came in various weights
for "Men, Youths, Girls, Ladies, Boys, and Children."
(below) Later on, an adjustable tension
dumbell was introduced. The black enamelled finish on these, show
they were the "mens model." They weighed 3 lbs.
Sandow
demonstrates exercises with dumbells (above)
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