Orville Stamm (June 29, 1893 – May 8, 1963) was a strongman who was known as "The Boy Hercules".[1]
Orville Stamm | |
|---|---|
 Stamm having a piano played on top of him | |
| Born | June 29, 1893 |
| Died | May 8, 1963 (aged 69) |
| Occupation | Vaudeville performer |
Information
editOrville Stamm was born to Bessie Stamm and Louis Stamm.[2] The couple divorced in 1903.[3] He was a vaudeville child star.[4] In 1909, he competed for boys' gymnast contest in Los Angeles.[5] in 1914 he gave a lecture on weight loss in Tacoma.[6]
Stamm performed a variety of tricks as part of his act including singing, floor tumbling, playing a violin with a dog hanging from his arm, playing the fiddle, lifting horses, lifting women, and letting a musician play a piano on top of his body.[7][8][9][10]
Stamm and his wife, Martha Jane Stefanik, were known as the "eugenic couple".[11] They performed internationally together doing adagio dances.[12] The couple also performed routines involving singing, dancing and comedy.[13] The pair performed in Calgary in 1924, in Nebraska in 1925 and Atlantic City, New Jersey in 1927.[14][15]
Stamm and Stefanik were invited to the White House by Franklin D. Roosevelt during his presidency for tea.[16] Stamm later had a piece of exercise equipment named after him called, "The Stamm Foldaway Gym".[17]
Personal life
editStamm was a physical instructor for the U.S. Navy during World War 1.[18][19] Stamm later held patents on various gymnastic equipment, headlights and animal exercise equipment.[19]
Stamm married Martha Jane Stefanik in 1947. Stefanik was a member of the New York City Ballet and was a regular performer in his act.[20][19][10]
References
edit
- ^ "Goodwin's Weekly". Goodwin's Weekly. 1909.
- ^ Orville Stamm, Strong Man, Heads Victoria Vaudeville; Gloria Swanson on Screen, News-Pilot, 1924, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Wealthy Oil Man Is Wed In Los Angeles, The Fresno Morning Republican, 1912, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Uncle John's Bathroom Reader: Wonderful World of Odd. Printers Row. 2011. ISBN 9781607104643.
- ^ Orville Stamm Will Compete For Boy Gymnast Prize, Los Angeles Herald, 1909, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Vaudeville Star Talks on Health, The News Tribune, 1914, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ "The Boy Hurcules". LIFE Magazine. Time Inc. November 12, 1956.
- ^ Miller, William D. (1991). Pretty Bubbles in the Air: America in 1919. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-01823-7.
- ^ " Dream Of The Orient", The Fort Wayne News, 1916, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ a b Musings, publisher: AuthorHouse, published: 2012, url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Musings/YKZ03TdSuL4C?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Orville+Stamm%22&pg=PA80&printsec=frontcover
- ^ The Billboard. R.S. Littleford, Jr., W.D. Littleford. 1927.
- ^ O. L. Stamm, The Daily Courier, 1963, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Different Vaude Bill is Headed By Orville Stamm, The Dayton Herald, 1926, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Mr. and Mrs. Orville Stamm and Company Last Times Today at the Liberty, The Nebraska State Journal, 1925, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Earle Offers Pleasing Fare, Press of Atlantic City, 1927, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Wood, John (2017), Orville Stamm - The Boy Hercules, Old Times Strongman, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ Business Management, publisher: Management Magazines', published: 1965, url=https://books.google.com/books/content?id=25QSAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA87&img=1&pgis=1&dq=%22Orville+Stamm%22&bul=1&sig=ACfU3U2DBvqZXtWVWtM_LFPTWVT7WZG2fw&edge=0
- ^ The Majestic, Harrisburg Telegraph, 1918, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ a b c Physical Fitness Expert Orville Stamm Succumbs, The Evening Standard, 1963, retrieved 13 March 2023
- ^ "Eat More Potatoes," Is Just Troupers' Joke, Evening Express, 1928, retrieved 13 March 2023