Gay Thursday: Before We Were Gay

Eugen Sandow (1867-1925)

Little remembered today, Sandow was the father of modern bodybuilding—and, for a short time at least, he was open about his sexuality: when he began his rise to international stardom in Chicago's Loop in 1893, he arrived with his boyfriend in tow.

In "The Dying Gaul", the nude Sandow, again lying on the ground, looks up. His thighs are spread, his right arm up, his right hand open, palm out, imploring the gods to spare him from impending death even as his face suggests a pained acceptance of his fate. This, at any rate, would be the "straight" interpretation of the scene.

Sandow's debut in his skimpy outfit received thunderous applause, and as Sandow took his bows, Ziegfeld appeared on stage, announcing that women who donated $300 to charity could come to Sandow's dressing room to caress his muscles. Mrs. Potter Palmer and Mrs. George Pullman, grand dames of Chicago society, were first in line. However, men got in for free, and they were the ones who crowded Sandow's room.

Excerpted from "Eugen Sandow's Gift to Gay Men." Read the full article from The Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide.