Clarence weber photograph

Description

Post Cards

Thank you

This photo is showing Clarence Weber, with a snake made of cloth. It was modelled on Lord Leighton’s sculpture of 'Athlete Strangling a Python'.

About Clarence Weber

Thank you very much for listening. Hope you enjoyed!

Purpose

The original purpose of this photograph was for a thank you to Aaron Beatty.

Postcard with Clarence on it.

Clarence opened a Health and Strength College that was in Flinders Street. Under the name Professor Weber he taught wrestling, bodybuilding and correct breathing. The college was for both men and women. Run in partnership with John Rice, the college was a well-known feature in the Melbourne sporting scene.

George Hackenschmidt, who was the World’s Best Champion Wrestler, encouraged Clarence to take up wrestling in 1904. Clarence’s first major wrestling match was in November and his opponent Buttan Singh was chased down St Kilda Road by a crowd, who were mad by the Indian’s tactics. Clarence lost to Buttan again in July 1905, but then defeated Buttan in the Australian Heavyweight Championship in November 1906.

Clarence was an athlete and a physical therapist, who was born on the 27th of March 1882 in Brighton, Melbourne. He was the seventh surviving child of Frederick Weber (who was a German-born market-gardener and a Methodist minister, in his spare time) and Frederick’s Victorian-born wife Eliza, née Head.

Clarence was a successful athlete, winning three sprints in the Victorian Championships and three hurdle races as a young athlete in 1900. He then changed to cycling and won two Victorian titles in 1902.

He was attracted to the sport by the new Physical Culture Movement that was made popular by Eugene Sandow (who visited Australia in 1902) and George Hackenschmidt (who came to Australia in between 1904 to 1907).

Facts

Who does it show: My great, great grandfather, Clarence Alfred Weber

When was it taken: circa 1915

What are the people wearing: Nothing

Where was it taken: Melbourne

Why was it taken: for advertising purposes

What does the photo show: Clarence holding a snake made of cloth and Clarence.

Clarence Weber Information

Acknowledgments

What this artefact tells us about the past

Photo

At six feet (183 cm) tall, Clarence weighed fourteen stone (89 kg), and was beautifully handsome and strong. Some girls whom thought that Clarence was handsome nicknamed him ‘Adonis” and ‘Hercules.’ Clarence was registered in a number of weight-lifting records in the early 1900’s. `

After a day talking to an audience during Victorian Health Week, when he was washing his hands before he had his dinner, Clarence collapsed and died of a heart attack on the 20th of November 1930 at his Mont Albert home. Survived by his wife, he had seven children in his first marriage and three children in his second marriage. He was buried in the Brighton Cemetery.

It tells us what Clarence looked like and what he was interested in. Also it shows us how the photography was like in that time. Black and white was still the main medium. It also tells us that people often though that not wearing any clothes in a photograph was great for showing off their muscles.

On 19th December 1906, Clarence married Louisa Peck at the Methodist Church, Waverley, whom died in 1918. He caught sunstroke on his honeymoon, which made him withdraw from wrestling and concentrate on his business. But he made a

successful comeback in 1908 winning the Australian title with a victory over the New Zealand-based Scot, Alexander Bain, in September 1911.

In 1913, Clarence retired undefeated, but was persuaded to return in 1923 when he again won the heavyweight title over Billy Meeske, a former pupil fourteen years in his junior. He was no longer the best at wrestling but kept his title against Billy Meeske in July 1926, but finally lost to him in September, which was his last time that he appeared in the ring. After his last appearance in the ring, he devoted his college to charity work, with the influence of his wife of Ivy Lavina who he married at Brighton on the 7th of March 1919.

Great Sporting Moments

I would like to really thank all of the people who helped me with this presentation and my information.

P. Weber (Personal communication, August 26 2015)

G. Weber (Personal communication, August 23 2015)

H. Weber (Personal communication, August 15 2015)

J. Johnston (Personal communication, August 20 2015)

A. Weber (Personal communication, August 9 2015)

References:

Clarence Weber family scrapbook

Great Sporting Moments. The Herald and Weekly TImes 2001

Size, Weight & Composition

Size: 28cm x 37cm

Weight: 800g

Composition: Sepia photography

The page Clarence Weber is on. It is the page next to Phar Lap.

Great Sporting Moments Book

Other Achievements

Clarence also got himself onto postcards and also in the book 'Great Sporting Moments The Best Images of the 20th Century'.

Information of Photo

Owners

Original owner: Aaron Beatty

Current owner: Harold Weber

Clarence Weber did this pose for advertising purposes. It was around 1915, in Melbourne in a photographic studio. On the frame of the picture is the name 'F. Monteath' who was the photographer. The photo are 3D, so Clarence rises out of the photo, by a millimeter or two. It would have extremely advanced photography in those days and could still be today.

He or someone close to him saw a Lord Leighton (famous English sculptor) sculpture of 'Athlete Strangling a Python'. They decided that it could be used to show off his magnificent physic, and muscle definition. This is clearly shown in the pose.

Made of cloth the snake remained in the Weber house in the attic for many years with the children playing with it.

Story

The story behind the photo, is There is an amusing tale connected to the snake:

When Lord Leighton died someone did a biographical book of his work. He saw Clarence's pose and

Date/Age

Note

immediately jumped to the conclusion that Clarence was the person who posed for Lord Leighton. When people compared when the sculpture was done and Clarence's birth date they worked out that Clarence was wasn't even born when the sculpture was made!

On this picture is a letter written by Clarence to somebody called Aaron Beatty. Here is what it says:

To Aaron,

In appreciation of the help given in winning the Australian Championships.

From Clarence Weber.

This artefact was taken on 19th of September, 1911. This makes it nearly 104 years old.

Clarence Weber Photograph