Josephine Blatt

Josephine Blatt "née" Wohlford (c.1869 - September 1 1923), best known by her stage name Minerva, was a strongwoman. She married strongman Charles Blatt in 1888.

Early life

Nineteenth century accounts differ as to the place and time of her birth. In an interview in "The Mirror" of Manchester, New Hampshire, she claimed to have been born in 1865 in Hamburg, Germany. The "Guinness Book of World Records" listed her as an American, born in 1869, and various accounts place her either in Hoboken or Elizabethtown, New Jersey in her youth.

World weightlifting record dispute

In the July 1937 issue of "Strength & Health" magazine, Rosetta Hoffman made the claim that Minerva had lifted 23 men and a platform, in a 3,564 lb hip-and-harness lift.

For several years, the "Guinness Book of World Records" listed Minerva as having lifted the greatest weight ever by a woman—3,564 lb in a hip-and-harness lift—"at the Bijou Theatre, Hoboken, N.J., on April 15, 1895."

Hoffman may be the source for "Guinness" record, even though it contradicts, and even enhances, the published claim of the time from the sponsor of the event, "The National Police Gazette". The "Gazette", a sensationalist tabloid of the period, claimed she lifted a platform with only 18 men weighing "approximately 3000 pounds".

For this feat, the "Gazette" awarded Minerva with a solid gold loving cup on April 29, 1895; this trophy is now lost.

Late life

Josephine Blatt retired from performance in 1910, and invested in New Jersey real estate. She died on September 1, 1923.

References

*Citation
last =Todd
first =Jan
author-link =
last2 =
first2 =
author2-link =
title =The Mystery of Minerva
newspaper =Iron Game History, Vol. 1 number 2, posted at the [http://www.aafla.org/ Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles] ' website
pages =
year =
date=April 1990
url = http://www.aafla.org/SportsLibrary/IGH/IGH0102/IGH0102i.pdf
*Citation
last =Roark
first =Joe
author-link =
last2 =
first2 =
author2-link =
title =The Roark Report: Backlifting
newspaper =Iron Game History, Vol. 2 number 1, posted at the [http://www.aafla.org/ Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles] ' website
pages =
year =
date =January 1992
url = http://www.aafla.org/SportsLibrary/IGH/IGH0201/IGH0201d.pdf

External links

* [http://www.area30.net/M_amazonas/Iriam/Textos/Articulos/Antiguas%20amazonas/Minerva.htm Minerva] at Antiguas Amazonas