One of Marie Kendall’s most beloved photographs shows a group of Norfolk men working out at the Eldridge Gymnasium (now Town Hall) in 1896. Some have been identified, such as John DePeu, bearded pastor of the Church of Christ, balancing on the parallel bars. Perhaps these men were inspired by the first modern Olympic Games, held in April of that year in Athens, Greece. Any one of them could probably have participated. There were no national Olympic trials; rather, any athlete with ambition and the means of getting there could compete. Some were even tourists who happened to be in the area during the Games. Nine sports were contested, including gymnastics. Although we have no record of the innate abilities of the men in this photograph, they did have to hold their pose for Kendall’s view camera, no small feat for the instructor doing a handstand on the parallel bars. 

Text by Ann Havemeyer
Photo Courtesy of the Norfolk Historical Society