• Joe had the adjustable Ped-o-Pul in his 8th Avenue studio in NYC beginning in 1952
• At least three Elders had the adjustable Ped-o-Pul in their studios
• Through written instructions, Joe wrote about the seat attachment and its exercises
• Due to Carola Trier’s original, adjustable Ped-O-Pul within Elaine Ewing’s collection of original apparatus, we now know how the bike seat attached
• Joe created a specific Ped-o-Pul order with instructions and pictures
• The correct spelling is documented by Joe
• This workshop utilized archival photos, film, writing, and testimonials

• Joe invented 2 versions of The Resister in the 1940’s

• He created 2 charts of Resister exercises that included images, instructions, the purpose of each exercise, breathing instructions, and muscle groups targeted

• He archived these same exercises in the same order in photographs as well

• His vision was for the public to purchase Resisters to be able to exercise on their own

• Joe had a Benchmat in his NYC studio from the early 1940’s through at least 1957, as documented evidence proves, and he used it very often with students

• Both Carola Trier and Robert Fitzgerald also had Benchmats in their studios

• He created a chart of Benchmat exercises that included images, instructions, the purpose of the exercises, and breathing

• He archived many more exercises on the Benchmat not shown on the chart

• The Benchmat is an apparatus, and Joe referred to it as such

• The original foldable, home mat made by Joseph Pilates is part of Elaine Ewing’s collection of original pilates apparatus

• Joseph Pilates’ original plaque is found on the mat to prove its authenticity

• The unique dimensions and padding of the mat enhances and improves the quality of mat workout

• Original Bednasiums are in both Sean Gallagher’s and Elaine Ewing’s collections of archival pilates apparatus.
• Joe advertised the Bednasium in both paid advertisements as well as in brochures that showed pictures and contained detailed information
• He also archived its use in photos and on film, as well as created a child size Bednasium and even a V-bed for a cat
• Pilates at The Pillow attendees have the opportunity to try the Bednasium using replicas of springs that are the same tension as what Joe used and taught on

Joe documented how to use the Toe Corrector, Neck Stretcher, and Hand Tensometer in both photographs and on film. For the first time in pilates history, Pilates at The Pillow™ Fall 2019 attendees will view Joe’s archival film footage of how to use all three of these apparatuses.

The Pilates Source® brings you the original spring tensions and mechanisms on these apparatus, previously totally unknown to the pilates community. These differences make for an experience of greater depth and more profound connections to the powerhouse than possible with the standard spring tensions otherwise commercially offered throughout the pilates community.

The Original Toe Corrector

• Joe had at least 2 different versions of the Toe Corrector
• At Pilates at The Pillow Fall 2019, we reintroduced a version that was previously lost to history
• Practicing with the original spring tension as Joe intended is a different experience than the standard sold today

Neck Stretcher

• Replicas of the original spring facilitate a great range of motion in the traditional exercises with the Neck Stretcher, as well as a more intense and deeply grounded connection to the Powerhouse.
• The original spring for the Neck Stretcher is not the same as the standard sold today (as can be seen in the photo).

Hand Tensometer

• For the first time since Joe was alive, Pilates at The Pillow revealed the original exercises and method for doing them- through colored film taken by Joe himself at Jacob’s Pillow- the very place where we practiced them
• This apparatus was a virtual mystery- until now
• practicing with Joe’s original spring tension is a different experience than the tensions standardly sold today

• The only actual, original Magic Circles known to exist today can be found with the combined collections of archival and original pilates apparatus of Sean Gallagher and Elaine Ewing
• The Magic Circles we introduced at the conference were made the way Joe designed them- from steel strapping in various tensions that could be interchanged depending on the needs and wants of the student.

• In 2022, we presented workshops on the original Spine Corrector, which we reproduced through the original blueprints from Sean Gallagher’s Pilates Archives® and from an Original Spine Corrector in Elaine Ewing’s collection.
• The Spine Correctors we taught with were made with thin, firm padding, which was Joe’s intention for the apparatus, so that students could get the sensory feedback that allows for the most functional spinal articulation as he wanted it.

• In 2022, we presented a workshop and re-introduced Joe’s Original Small Barrel, which was a replica from an original in Sean Gallagher’s collection.
• During this workshop, we also revealed incredible information about the most likely origins of Joe’s barrel designs, which were once thought to have been made by cutting beer barrels in half.

• In our presentation, for the first time in pilates history we shared pages from one of Joe’s personal books about cabinet making from his library (on display in Sean Gallagher’s Pilates Museum/Studio) that showed that within this book there were plans for making a cabinet that looks nearly identical to Joe’s barrel design.

• Before Pilates at The Pillow Fall 2023, it was almost impossible to practice Joe’s original work with his set of Airplane Boards because they were not being produced.
• Based on archival photos, advertisements, and film footage, we not only replicated 5 of Joe’s original, different airplane boards, but we also made them available to teachers around the world and taught his original exercises on all of them.
• Joseph Pilates was known for painting his wooden equipment silver, so we did the same on the airplane boards. He even painted his own airplane board silver- which we know because it’s within Sean’s collection of original equipment.