VTG EXTREMELY RARE Ringling Bros Brothers THE SAXON TRIO Strongest Man In the World Arthur Saxon. The great German Giants of strength. The poster is in good condition for its age. Colors are vivid. Please see all photos. There a few small areas with scratches - two are not very noticeable. The area on the “N” in “Ringling” is the most noticeable. There are two areas with writing on the back and there are also some spots on the back, but they do not show on the front. There was tape on the back as it was matted and framed, however the frame had four holes drilled through it which held nails or screws so I removed it. The areas with tape are a little sticky, so I will ship this with a thin poster board behind it, so it doesn’t stick to the front of the poster. Please ask any questions prior to bidding. Thanks for looking!

A little History of Arthur Saxon:

Arthur Saxon (April 28, 1878 – August 6, 1921), born Arthur Hennig and nicknamed "The Iron-Master", was a German strongman and circus performer from the late 19th century into the early 20th century. Saxon is best known for the bent press, a lift in which he was far superior to any other strongman, setting a world record of 168 kg (370 lb) which remains unbroken to this day. He also lifted 175 kg (385 lb) informally in a gym, as well as making a "two hands anyhow" lift of 203 kg (448 lb).

Arno Patschke, known as Arno Saxon on stage, a performer and former Greco-Roman wrestler from Germany was eager to make money performing strongman acts. He traveled to Leipzig, where he convinced Oscard Hilgenfeldt and Arthur Hennig to join him in creating the "Greatest Strong Show" in the country.

Eventually Arthur's two brothers, Kurt and Hermann joined the group as well, forming the "Saxon Trio," and in 1897, the Trio began performing for a circus in Europe. In one act, Arthur Saxon lifted his seated brothers on a barbell with one arm. Another popular portion of their performances included opening the stage to anyone who challenged the validity of a lift, to try for themselves.

Saxon recorded several of his personal records in his books "The Development of Physical Power" and "The Text Book of Weightlifting".

Bent press - 371lbs/168kgs

Two Hands Anyhow - 448lbs/203kgs

One-Hand Snatch - 200lbs/90kgs

Two-Hand Military Press - 252lbs/114kgs

One-Hand Military Press - 126lbs/57kgs

Behind-The-Neck Jerk - 311lbs/141kgs

Clean and jerk - 342lbs/155kgs

One-Hand Clean and Jerk - 247½lbs/112kgs

Pull Over and Push - 385lbs/175kgs