Harrison, Wm. Greer – Making a Man. A Manual of Athletics’ Scarce 1915 title dedicated to “The Olympic Club” of San Francisco. 72-pages. Contents: The Mental Attitude in Athletics, What is Meant by At

Description

Harrison, Wm. Greer ‘Making a Man. A Manual of Athletics’ Scarce 1915 title dedicated to “The Olympic Club” of San Francisco. 72-pages. Contents: The Mental Attitude in Athletics, What is Meant by Athletics? The Greek and Modern Athlete, In the Open, Room Exercises, The Gentle Art of Rowing, Outdoor Athletics, An Expert’s Opinion, Boxing, The Art of Self-Defense, Physical Culture and All Branches of Athletics and Its Results, Fencing… Very good condition.

The manual focuses strictly on universal physical culture, calisthenics, respiratory health, and general athletic posture. It was meant as a general health guide for the everyday man rather than a combat sports manual.

Making a Man: A Manual of Athletics is a rare, privately printed 1915 physical culture book written by William Greer Harrison, a prominent figure in early California sports history.
Book Summary. The book is a concise instructional guide (roughly 70 pages) that outlines Harrison’s philosophy on physical development, training, and total body health. It is deeply tied to the Olympic Club of San Francisco, where Harrison served three terms as president.
• The Author’s Legacy: Born in Ireland, Harrison was an avid athlete, playwright, and civic leader who famously organized massive “Ancient Greco-Roman Games” in San Francisco in 1893—a spectacle that heavily promoted ancient Olympic athletic ideals right before the modern Olympic games debuted in 1896.
• Core Topics: The manual focuses on the observations Harrison gathered over his decades of coordinating athletic shows and managing high-level athletes. It includes step-by-step physical training instructions, proper athletic mechanics, and health regimens.
• Visuals: The book is highly notable for featuring historical photographic plates of Olympic Club Olympians performing various athletic feats and exhibiting the peak physical forms of the era.
• Market Scarcity: This is an exceptionally obscure, privately printed book (published via H.S. Crocker Co. or self-published by Harrison in San Francisco). Because of its low print run and regional nature, very few copies enter the antiquarian market.