The Mystery of George F. Jowett's Vanity Press

Captains Log, July 23, 2021.

It was a week of exceptions and mystery. It started with the exception. I avoid acquiring Bibles and dictionaries. It is one of my rules, no Bibles, avoid dictionaries. Somehow I ended up with both this week. One of the exceptions is leather. More leather books have arrived and continue to arrive. Stop on by the store to find your treasure.

The mystery started on Saturday afternoon when a collection of books entered the Captain’s Book Shoppe. The books appeared to be from the 1930s.

The initial question when I spotted six vintage booklets from the 1930s, was “is this the entire set?” The advertisement in the back of the book answered the question. We were missing MOLDING MIGHTY MUSCLES.

Photo is the back coupon page from the Orange colored MOLDING A MIGHTY BACK by George F. Jowett published by the Jowett Institute of Physical Culture, Inc. in 1931.

George Jowett is credited with authoring numerous books. The exact number is a mystery. He wrote in the 1900s “under the pseudonym of John Bradford.” Under that identity “he edited the American Continental Weight Lifters’ Association Notes where he was able to engage in unrestrained self-praise” of strongman George Jowett.[1.] Jowett was a skilled writer, editor, and superb organizational promoter. He was a P.T. Barnum with muscles. Before Hulk Hogan, Arnold Schwarzenegger or Lou Ferrigno, there was the father of strongmen in the 1920s, George Jowett. John D. Fair, Ph.D. Auburn University at Montgomery examined George Jowett’s place in wrestling, weightlifting and bodybuilding history entitled Father-Figure or Phony? George Jowett, the ACWA and the MILO Barbell Company, 1924-1927. Despite all that research, there was still a mystery to solve once George Jowett entered the store. [2]

How Does One Note a Jowett First Edition?

Short answer, it remains a mystery. Longer answer is Jowett was a controversial figure that may have wanted things to be murky. His works are the textbook definition of Vanity Press. Meriam-Webster's definition is:

"vanity press: a publishing house that publishes books at the author's expense— called also vanity publisher."[3]

Fair's article highlighted questionable publishing and business transactions by Jowett. "Jowett allegedly plagiarized an article Pullum had written on Arthur Saxon and published it in Strength."[4] I may never really determine the definitive facts, but Jowett remains an intriguing, collectable author.

What is Known

George F. Jowett was a muscle man credited with organizing the weightlifting sport in the United States while setting weightlifting records. He was a showman that sold the sport. As the editor of Strength Magazine (1924-1927), he promoted himself. He organized weightlifting and published rules for competitions. Many of those publications were published by and advertised as mail order items in Strength Magazine. The books not only contained standardized rules for the competitions, they also listed weightlifting records. The editor, George F. Jowett, published a list of feats and accomplishments about himself. Some people in the business questioned if George F. Jowett legitimately performed all of those feats and records. Jowett is a controversial historical figure in the weightlifting and publishing community. Strength Magazine fired George Jowett in 1927. Once dismissed from Strength Magazine he self-published his works through a firm known as Jowett Institute of Physical Culture Inc.[5]

Undated photo of George F. Jowett in the 1931 MOLDING A MIGHTY BACK. The photo was in five of the books from the Jowett Institute termed the Strong Man's Library. (The photo was not in the green colored 1930 MOLDING A MIGHTY ARM.)

Are these booklets collectable / valuable?

My general opinion is controversy adds to the value of a book. This rule has exceptions, but Jowett's case is one where his original booklets are items weightlifters collect.

John Wood’s Old Time Strongman website states:

"In 1930, George Jowett came out with some of his most popular training materials in the form of the “Molding” courses.

Each of these courses was devoted to one specific aspect of training: Molding a Mighty Arm, Molding a Mighty Chest, Molding Mighty Legs, Molding a Mighty Grip, Molding a Mighty Back and ending with Strongman Stunts Made Easy. Hundreds of thousands of these courses were sold all over the world during the Jowett Institute’s heyday.

While the rest of these booklets are currently out of print and very hard to come by…"[6]

Individual modern reprints of each booklet were selling on Amazon for six dollars this past weekend. The original 1930s Jowett Booklets remain scarce, with one or maybe two of the 1930s editions listed on AbeBOOKS.com for around $30 - $40 by five star booksellers. Jowett originals have increased in value. Six of those books originally sold for a dollar in the 1930s. A dollar in 1930 equates to $16.27 in 2021.[7] Today, the collector can walk into Captain’s Book Shoppe and buy all six old-time booklets for $180 cash plus tax.

Summary

Even after the Jowett Collection departs the store, I will continue to update this post as new information is verified. If you have some leads or information such as primary or secondary sources concerning the life or publishing of George F. Jowett, please contact me. Items such as the April 1955 Muscle Builder magazine are of interest due to its portrayal of George F. Jowett by Charles Smith.

[1] John D. Fair, “Father-Figure or Phony? George Jowett, the ACWA and the MILO Barbell Company, 1924-1927.”Iron Game History, December 1994, p. 14.

[2] Fair, p. 13-24.

[3} Vanity Press | Definition of Vanity Press by Merriam-Webster, (Accessed July 21, 2021)

[4] Fair, p. 22.

[5] Fair, p. 13-24.

[6] The George F. Jowett Collection - www.oldtimestrongman.com (Accessed July 20, 2021).

[7] $1 in 1930 → 2021 | Inflation Calculator (in2013dollars.com) (Accessed July 22, 2021).

[8]. Fair, p. 16, 25.

[9] Fair, p. 19, 25.

[10] Fair, p.21, 25.

Captain’s Book Shoppe LLC Working Notes:

Known Books/works/ephemera attributed to George F. Jowett

(1891 – 1961)

Rules, Regulations and Records of Weight Lifting Philadelphia, 1925 (First Advertised in Strength Magazine August 1925)[8]

Key to Might and Muscle. Philadelphia, 1926. [9]

The Strongest Man That Ever Lived. Philadelphia, 1926 about Louis Cyr [10]

George F. Jowett. Molding A Mighty Arm. Publisher: Jowett Institute of Physical Culture, Scranton, PA Publication Date: 1930 Binding: Soft cover Book Condition: Fair. Source AbeBOOKS.com (Captain's Book Shoppe LLC Molding a Mighty Arm by George F. Jowett: Fair Soft cover (1930) | Captain's Book Shoppe LLC (abebooks.com) Accessed July 23, 2021).

George F. Jowett. Molding A Mighty Back. Publisher: Jowett Institute of Physical Culture, Scranton, PA Publication Date: 1931 Binding: Soft cover Illustrator: Ludwig Bemelmans Book Condition: Fair. Source AbeBOOKS.com (Captain's Book Shoppe LLC Molding a Mighty Back by George F. Jowett: Fair Soft cover (1931) | Captain's Book Shoppe LLC (abebooks.com) Accessed July 23, 2021).

George F. Jowett. Molding a Mighty Grip. Publisher: Jowett Institute of Physical Culture, Scranton, PA Publication Date: 1930 Binding: Soft cover Illustrator: Ludwig Bemelmans Book Condition: Fair Source AbeBOOKS.com (Captain's Book Shoppe LLC Molding a Mighty Grip by George F. Jowett: Fair Soft cover (1930) | Captain's Book Shoppe LLC (abebooks.com) Accessed July 23, 2021).

George F. Jowett. Molding a Mighty Chest. Publisher: Jowett Institute of Physical Culture, Scranton, PA Publication Date: 1932 Binding: Soft cover Book Condition: Fair Source AbeBOOKS.com (Captain's Book Shoppe LLC Molding a Mighty Chest by George F. Jowett: Fair Soft cover (1932) | Captain's Book Shoppe LLC (abebooks.com) Accessed July 23, 2021.

George F. Jowett. Molding Mighty Legs. Publisher: Jowett Institute of Physical Culture, Scranton, PA Publication Date: 1930 Binding: Soft cover Illustrator: Jerry Crandall Book Condition: Good. Source AbeBOOKS.com (Captain's Book Shoppe LLC Molding Mighty Legs by George F. Jowett: Good Soft cover (1930) | Captain's Book Shoppe LLC (abebooks.com) Accessed July 23, 2021).

George F. Jowett. Molding Mighty Muscles. Missing

George F. Jowett. Strong Man Stunts Made Easy. Publisher: Jowett Institute of Physical Culture, Scranton, PA Publication Date: 1930 Binding: Soft cover Book Condition: Fair Source: AbeBooks.com (Captain's Book Shoppe LLC Strong Man Stunts Made Easy by George F. Jowett: Fair Soft cover (1930) | Captain's Book Shoppe LLC (abebooks.com) Accessed July 23, 2021).

George F. Jowett Why They Call Me Champion of Champions. Publisher: The Jowett Institute of Physical Culture, Inc, New York (No Date (ca. 1930's). Binding: Soft Cover. Edition: First Edition. Source: AbeBOOKS.COM (Ken Jackson, 5864 Dalcastle Drive N.W., Calgary, AB, Canada T3A 2B6 Why They Call Me Champion of Champions by Jowett, George F.: Good Soft Cover First Edition. | Ken Jackson (abebooks.com) Accessed July 20, 2021) Photographs of semi-nude male strongmen doing exercises.

George F. Jowett The Modern Commando Science of Guerilla Self-Defense for the Home Front Title: The Modern Commando Science of Guerilla ... Publisher: The Abell Press, (Brooklyn, N.Y.) Publication Date: 1943. Binding: Softcover. Book Condition: Near Fine. Edition: 1st Edition Source: Between the Covers-Rare Books, Inc. ABAA (AbeBOOKS.com The Modern Commando Science of Guerilla Self-Defense for the Home Front by JOWETT, George F.: Near Fine Softcover (1943) | Between the Covers-Rare Books, Inc. ABAA (abebooks.com) ) “Uncommon and presumably self-published self-defense manual.”

George F. Jowett Sex and the Bodybuilder.. Publisher: Healthcrafts, Surbiton. Publication Date: 1952. Binding: Hardcover. Edition: First Edition. Source: Book Merchant Jenkins, ANZAAB / ILAB (AbeBOOKS.com Sex and the Body Builder by George F. Jowett: Good Hardcover (1952) First Edition. | Book Merchant Jenkins, ANZAAB / ILAB (abebooks.com) Accessed July 20, 2021). 148 pages, black and white illustrations. Yellow cloth, black lettering, no jacket. Scarce medical guide and instructional book on the health impacts of sex and the strengthening of the male body. Includes instructional illustrations of exercises.

George F. Jowett The Anatomy Of Sex. Publisher: Your Physique Publishing Co., Montreal, Quebec. Publication Date: 1943. Binding: Soft cover Source AbeBOOKS.com (Alexander Books (ABAC/ILAB PO Box 81186, Fiddler's Green RPO Ancaster, ON, Canada L9G 4X2 The Anatomy Of Sex by Jowett, George F. ( Father Of American Weightlifting ): Near Fine Soft cover (1943) First Thus | Alexander Books (ABAC/ILAB) (abebooks.com) Accessed July 20, 2021)