Ernest Edwin Coffin Collection
name: label: Photographer
content: Brooks, Warwick
label: Collector
content: Coffin, Ernest Edwin
label: Photographer
content: Steckel, Geo. (George), 1864-
label: Creator
content: Falk, B. J. (Benjamin J.), 1853-1925
label: Creator
content: Sandwina, Katie
label: Creator
content: Weider, Joe (author)
label: Photographer
content: Weston, Arthur
label: Photographer
content: Sarony, Napoleon, 1821-1896
label: Donor
content: Manhart, Harrison D., II
label: Names
content: World's Columbian Exposition (1893 : Chicago, Ill.)
label: Names
content: Sandow, Eugen, 1867-1925
topic: label: Topic
content: Physical education and training
label: Topic
content: Modelling
label: Topic
content: Bodybuilding
label: Topic
content: Books
label: Topic
content: Periodicals
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The collection was donated to the Archives Center by Dan Manhart in 2009.
creator: label: Photographer
content: Brooks, Warwick
label: Collector
content: Coffin, Ernest Edwin
label: Photographer
content: Steckel, Geo. (George), 1864-
label: Creator
content: Falk, B. J. (Benjamin J.), 1853-1925
label: Creator
content: Sandwina, Katie
label: Creator
content: Weider, Joe (author)
label: Photographer
content: Weston, Arthur
label: Photographer
content: Sarony, Napoleon, 1821-1896
label: Donor
content: Manhart, Harrison D., II
setName: label: See more items in
content: Ernest Edwin Coffin Collection
abstract: label: Summary
content: The collection documents Eugen Sandow and other bodybuilders through correspondence and photographs.
bioghist: label: Biographical
content: Ernest Edwin Coffin (1898-1954) was a California amateur bodybuilder, and weightlifter and collector of bodybuilding memorabilia, especially on the subject of Eugen Sandow. Coffin considered himself the world's expert on "Sandowania" and spent over 40 years writing and collecting memorabilia about Sandow as well as other strongmen such as Joe Weider, Milo Steinborn, and Katie Sandwina.

Born Frederich Muller (1867-1925) in Konigsberg, Prussia, Muller emigrated to England in 1889 and become a citizen in 1906. Muller adopted the stage name of Eugen Sandow and ran several schools of physical culture, performed, lectured, and wrote about strength amd mental and physical health. Sandow toured the United States in 1893 with his manager, Florenz Ziegfeld, the "Follies" showman. Sandow's first American appearance was at the World's Fair in Chicago where he was an instant success. Ziegfeld marketed Sandow as "the perfect man," and "the modern Hercules." Sandow used his popularity to market books, a magazine (Physical Culture), and exercise equipment.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 11.5 Cubic feet (26 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1889-1954
custodhist: label: Custodial History
content: The collection was assembled by Ernest Edwin Coffin, a collector of Eugen Sandow memorabilia.
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.1152
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Pamphlets
label: Type
content: Articles
label: Type
content: Correspondence
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Glass plate negatives
label: Type
content: Scrapbooks
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is divided into four series.


Series 1: Background Materials, 1894-1958	

Series 2: Correspondence, 1902-1954	

Series 3: Publications, 1926-03-1955-01		

Series 4: Photographs, 1889-1952
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Collection processed by Alison Oswald, archivist, 2019.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Pamphlets
label: Genre/Form
content: Articles
label: Genre/Form
content: Correspondence
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs -- 19th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Glass plate negatives
label: Genre/Form
content: Scrapbooks -- 20th century
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The collection contains original and copy photographs of Eugen Sandow and other bodybuilders and actors, by well known photographers Warwick Brooks, Napoleon Sarony, Benjamin J. Falk, George Steckel, and others; correspondence with well-known bodybuilders such as Joe Weider and Katie Sandwina; and periodicals and books about Sandow.
separatedmaterial: label: Separated Materials
content: Materials in the Division of Culture and the Arts (now Division of Cultural and Community Life).

The Division of Culture and the Arts holds hand weights, a cut-out, and a dumbbell belonging to Eugen Sandow. See accession #2001.0179.