Roman rings are the test of strength and will for any bodybuilder or athlete. Enjoy looking at the background of a photo like this. The people and the way they dress, the buildings and the cars. The building in the background is the Purser Hotel which many mistake for the famed Muscle House of Muscle Beach, even Wikipedia ! The actual Muscle House was a four bedroom house at 160 Hill Street in Santa Monica, owned by Fleurette Joy Crettaz (1891-1975) a healthy living advocate and vegetarian. No meat or junk food was allowed at her house, and each boarder was given space for their own food in the refrigerator. Boarders would go out of their way to hide forbidden foods. Up to six bodybuilders would be living at her boarding house at anytime, among her boarders were bodybuilders Steve Reeves, George Eiferman, Irvin Koszewski, Jack Delinger, John Knight and Dave Draper. 160 Hill Street, between Neilson Way and Main St, is now a parking lot. -Rj
Thanks, Rj, this is a wonderful account of a fascinating milieu. I often wonder what they all talked about, pumping iron and eating healthily (and smoking, God knows), in a time when most people didn’t really think about “getting in shape” — at least not on the level of a Reeves or an Eiferman. What kept them going?
Roman rings are the test of strength and will for any bodybuilder or athlete.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy looking at the background of a photo like this. The people and the way they dress, the buildings and the cars.
The building in the background is the Purser Hotel which many mistake for the famed Muscle House of Muscle Beach, even Wikipedia !
The actual Muscle House was a four bedroom house at 160 Hill Street in Santa Monica, owned by Fleurette Joy Crettaz (1891-1975) a healthy living advocate and vegetarian. No meat or junk food was allowed at her house, and each boarder was given space for their own food in the refrigerator. Boarders would go out of their way to hide forbidden foods. Up to six bodybuilders would be living at her boarding house at anytime, among her boarders were bodybuilders Steve Reeves, George Eiferman, Irvin Koszewski, Jack Delinger, John Knight and Dave Draper.
160 Hill Street, between Neilson Way and Main St, is now a parking lot.
-Rj
Thanks, Rj, this is a wonderful account of a fascinating milieu. I often wonder what they all talked about, pumping iron and eating healthily (and smoking, God knows), in a time when most people didn’t really think about “getting in shape” — at least not on the level of a Reeves or an Eiferman. What kept them going?
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