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A black-and-white photo of a person mid-air in a Superman-style body suspension pose, supported by multiple hooks in their back and legs, smiling joyfully toward the camera. They are suspended horizontally in a large indoor space with high ceilings and visible rigging. A group of onlookers—some seated, some standing—watch with expressions of admiration, amusement, and support. The atmosphere is lively and communal, capturing a moment of shared experience and transformation.

Tattoo, Piercing, and Body Modification News, Events, and Culture

Rasmus Nielsen Ripley’s Appearance

Written by

Shannon Larratt

After my success yesterday in digging up some old news clippings about The Great Omi, I thought I’d do some digging for Rasmus Nielsen, an amazing tattooed strongman that performed from the early 20th century until disappearing after his 1950 retirement. While tattooed strongmen were common, Rasmus was unique because of his stretched piercings through his nipples, nose, tongue, and collar (a “Madison” piercing that rightly should be known as a “Rasmus” piercing perhaps) from which he would lift anvils weighing as much as 250 pounds. Unfortunately the extent of what I could find was the June 16, 1938 edition of Ripley’s Believe It Or Not, which I hope is of interest nonetheless. For more, see his entry on The Human Marvels and The BME Encyclopedia.

rasmus-ripleys

Comments

One response to “Rasmus Nielsen Ripley’s Appearance”

  1. David Avatar
    David

    I didn’t know there was 5 Sundays on Febuary, Thanks ModBlog

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