Eugen Sandow (2 April 1867 – 14 October 1925) was a German bodybuilder and showman. Born in Königsberg, Sandow became interested in bodybuilding at the age of ten during a visit to Italy. He studied under strongman Ludwig Durlacher in the late 1880s and, on Durlacher's recommendation, performed in a series of matches against leading figures in the sport such as Charles Sampson and Henry McCann. In 1901 he organised what is believed to be the world's first major body building competition. Set in London's Royal Albert Hall, Sandow judged the event alongside author Arthur Conan Doyle and athlete/sculptor Charles Lawes-Wittewronge.
This picture shows an 1894 poster advertising the Sandow Trocadero Vaudevilles, a show featuring Sandow and produced by Florenz Ziegfeld Jr..Poster: Strobridge Lithographic Company; Restoration: Adam Cuerden