The Muscle Museum Tour DVD (2011)
Available for $16 direct from Mike BonDurant
(musclemuseum2@gmail.com)
Available for $16 direct from Mike BonDurant
(musclemuseum2@gmail.com)
What makes something “interesting”? My wife has a doctorate in Japanese art, so when we visit an art museum she often seeks out objects like this 17th century bowl, as used in traditional tea ceremonies:
When she looks at that, she sees history, and culture, and something beautiful.
I see a misshapen lump of clay.
But then there is Mike BonDurant’s muscle museum, which houses his extensive collection of antiques and curiosities related to (primarily old-time) weightlifters, bodybuilders and strongmen.
I see a misshapen lump of clay.
But then there is Mike BonDurant’s muscle museum, which houses his extensive collection of antiques and curiosities related to (primarily old-time) weightlifters, bodybuilders and strongmen.
This 46-minute DVD offers a quick and informal tour of these holdings, as shot by BonDurant’s daughter in essentially one take. And while the video may lack a certain professional polish, this is a minor concern given the quality of the items on display, including a Sandow chest-expander from the late 1800s, an adjustable Hercules club from 1897, and a rack of classic Milo barbells from the early 1900s:
BonDurant’s collection is extensive and varied, and he briefly discusses several of the the most notable items. As a student of iron-game history, I was fascinated to actually see all of these objects from the early days of modern physical culture. My biggest complaint is a selfish one: I wish I were actually there instead of viewing the collection on screen. Not only is there the particular frisson of seeing notable objects in person, but I wanted more information than the DVD’s running time permitted. BonDurant necessarily glosses over large parts of his collection during his recorded tour; I kept wishing I could rotate my screen to go back to something barely glimpsed in the corner of the frame.
But as much as I enjoyed this video, I know that my wife would only see lumps of metal. In order to appreciate these items, the viewer must already be knowledgeable about physical culture history, as the video itself does not provide much context. We learn details about the specific Milo barbells in BonDurant’s collection, but not about who Alan Calvert was, or why his founding of the Milo Barbell Company was important.
This is, of course, entirely reasonable: this DVD is meant as a tour of a collection, not as a historical primer. Nonetheless, I hope to visit the museum one day to see the objects in person. And when I do, maybe BonDurant will let me bring my video camera so I can interview him in more depth about some of these treasures. Because all of that knowledge, in addition to the objects themselves, deserves to be preserved and shared.
But as much as I enjoyed this video, I know that my wife would only see lumps of metal. In order to appreciate these items, the viewer must already be knowledgeable about physical culture history, as the video itself does not provide much context. We learn details about the specific Milo barbells in BonDurant’s collection, but not about who Alan Calvert was, or why his founding of the Milo Barbell Company was important.
This is, of course, entirely reasonable: this DVD is meant as a tour of a collection, not as a historical primer. Nonetheless, I hope to visit the museum one day to see the objects in person. And when I do, maybe BonDurant will let me bring my video camera so I can interview him in more depth about some of these treasures. Because all of that knowledge, in addition to the objects themselves, deserves to be preserved and shared.
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