Bobby Pandour: A Bodybuilding Icon

Bobby Pandour was one of the most striking figures in early bodybuilding, known for possessing a physique which rivalled the mighty Eugen Sandow. As an acrobat with international acclaim, he became a physical icon of his time, appearing in books, magazines and even on postcards! But unlike Sandow, Pandour’s life has been shrouded in mystery for over a century, and his legacy largely forgotten. In this mini-doc, I take a look at his life, early death, and attempt to answer the question- just who was Bobby Pandour?

Music

  1. Damma BeatzThe - Beast of a Trade

  2. Lennon Hutton - ES DOX

  3. Trevor Kowalski - Quartet Pizzicato Philip Ayers - I Know a Way Through

  4. Deborah Wong, steven beck - Op. 108: III

  5. Frook - Tarantulas

  6. Guy Copeland - Radial Symmetry

  7. Pro Reese - ASR10v

  8. August Wilhelmsson - Rhythmania 1

  9. Soara - FLIPPER

  10. Anna Dager - Suspension

  11. John B. Lund - Blacklight

  12. BLUE STEEL - Bonafide

Sources

  1. Collection of Bobby Pandour Negatives

    Collection of Edmond Desbonnet, 1900-1950 |Bnf Gallica

  2. ‘Bobby Pandour posing in costume’ (more photos from same series available through search function)
    The Strongman Project- Stark Center

  3. ‘Casino Music-Hall’, Le Tirailleur Algérien (Early advert for Pandour’s act in France, 1900)
    Le Tirailleur Algérien, October 1900, P. 3 |Bnf Gallica

  4. ‘Cirque D’Hiver’, Gil Blas (Advert for Pandour’s appearance at Cirque D’Hiver)
    Gil Blas, September 1901, P. 4 |Bnf Gallica

  5. ‘Cirque D’Hiver’, Le Constitutionnel (Advert for Pandour’s appearance at Cirque D’Hiver)
    Le Constitutionnel, October 1901, P. 3 |Bnf Gallica

  6. ‘Au Cirque D’Hiver’, La Fronde (Advert for Pandour’s appearance at Cirque D’Hiver)
    La Fronde, September 1901, P. 4 | Bnf Gallic    a

  7. ‘L’education Physique’, L'Auto-vélo (Pandour gives a talk on Gymnastics at a local school of physical culture )
    L'Auto-vélo, February 1902, P.1 |Bnf Gallica

  8. 'Les Rois de la Beauté plastique’, L’education Physique (Early feature on Bobby Pandour, provides some stats on his physique and training details)
    L’education Physique, February 1902, P. 9,10 |Bnf Gallica

  9. Cover of L’education Physique (Pandour as Cover Model)
    L’education Physique, March 1902, P. 1 |Bnf Gallica

  10. ‘Au Cirque Molier’, L'Éducation Physique (Pandour hailed as a young gymnast)
    L'Éducation Physique, July 1902, P.24 |Bnf Gallica

  11. L'acrobatie et les acrobates, (Sketches of Pandour Bros’ act)

    Georges Strehly, 1903, P. 155, 157 | BnF Gallica

  12. ‘Les Bobby-Pendour å Paris’, L'Auto-vélo (Pandour appears in Paris)
    L'Auto-vélo, November 1904, P.1 |Bnf Gallica

  13. ‘Olympia’, Le Progrès (Advert for Pandour’s appearance at a theatre, highlighting his tightrope skills)
    Le Progrès, August 1906, P. 3 | Bnf Gallica

  14. ‘Notre Couverture’, La Culture Physique (Pandour’s physique is praised by a columnist)

    La Culture Physique, September 1907, P. 54 |BnF Gallica

  15. Cover of La Culture Physique (Pandour as Cover Model)
    La Culture Physique, September 1907, P. 1 |BnF Gallica

  16. ‘Lette ouverte a M. le Docteur Pagés’, La Culture Physique (Pandour’s physique is praised as Grecian ideal)

    La Culture Physique, November 1907, P. 12 |BnF Gallica

  17. ‘Union-Théâtre’, Le Courrier de Metz (Advert for Pandour’s appearance at Union-Théâtre in Limoges, France)
    La Fronde, November 1907, P. 3 | Bnf Gallica

  18. ‘White Rat Notes’, Variety (Pandour Bros’ delay their tour start in America)

    Variety Magazine, August 1907, P. 18 | Internet Archive

  19. L'art de créer le pur-sang humain / par le Dr Georges Rouhet (Pandour’s physique shown as ideal physical development)
    Georges Rouhet, 1908, P. 55, 241 | BnF Gallica

  20. ‘Nos Visites: Bobby Pendour’, La Culture Physique (Column on Bobby Pandour, with photos)

    La Culture Physique, October 1908, P. 23 |BnF Gallica

  21. ‘I’m the Man’, Variety (Pandour Bro’s represented by Vaudeville Steamship Agent Pausig in advert)

    Variety Magazine, December 1908, P. 33 | Internet Archive

  22. ‘Hammerstein’s’, Variety (Mediocre Review of Pandour Bros’ Act)

    Variety Magazine, October 1908, P. 14 | Internet Archive

  23. Comment on Devient Champion de la Force, (Photograph of Pandour early in his career)

    Georges Rouhet, 1909, P. 111, 115 | BnF Gallica

  24. ‘New Columbia’, St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Bobby Pandour listed as act to appear in St. Louis)

    St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 1909, P. 17 | Internet Archive

  25. ‘Bills Next Week’, Variety (Pandour Bros listed for show in Indianapolis)

    Variety Magazine, March 1910, P. 14 | Internet Archive

  26. ‘Bills next week’, Variety (Pandour Bros’ Act listed for Indianapolis)

    Variety Magazine, October 1910, P. 15 | Internet Archive

  27. Manuel de Culture Physique (Pandour’s physique shown as ideal physical development)
    Calixte Pagès, 1911, P. 49 | BnF Gallica

  28. ‘Enormous Response to Mr Sandow’s Great “Back-to-Health” Offer’, Daily Mirror, 1912 (Advert for Sandow’s Health Library Series)
    23rd January 1912 |British Newspaper Archive [Login required to view]

  29. ‘Notre Tribune Libre’, La Culture Physique (Pandour’s physique is criticised by a columnist, who finds it overdeveloped and extreme in appearance)

    La Culture Physique, November 1912, P. 15 |BnF Gallica

  30. ‘La Plastique Moderne et la Beauté Antique’, La Culture Physique (Pandour’s physique is compared with that of Sandow)

    La Culture Physique, June 1913, P. 16 |BnF Gallica

  31. ‘Bucker Convicted', Variety (Bobby Pandour testifies for the prosecution in a case against talent agent Arthur Buckner)

    Variety Magazine, January 1914, P. 8 | Internet Archive

  32. ‘Bills Next Week June 7’, Variety (Pandour listed on performing bill)

    Variety Magazine, June 1915, P. 13 | Internet Archive

  33. Pour devenir fort et le rester, (featured photo of Bobby Pandour, labelled as ‘the product of physical culture’)

    Edmond Desbonnet, 1920, P. 17 | Internet Archive

  34. ‘PENDUR ET SANDOW’, La Culture Physique (Comparisons of Eugen Sandow and Bobby Pandour)

    La Culture Physique, July 1926, P. 15, 20 |BnF Gallica

  35. ‘Ecoles Du Professeur Desbonnet’, La Culture Physique (Bobby Pandour used in advertising Edmond Desbonnet’s Gym)

    La Culture Physique, July 1926, P. 2 |BnF Gallica

  36. ‘Un Produit De La Culture Physique: Pendour’, La Culture Physique (Bobby Pandour shown as physical ideal)

    La Culture Physique, September 1927, P. 9 |BnF Gallica

  37. ‘Un culturiste devenu un excellent athléte complet’, La Culture Physique (Bobby Pandour shown as physical ideal)

    La Culture Physique, September 1928, P. 22 |BnF Gallica