Nudist Resort Refreshments

Classic nudist camps, colonies, and resorts often had quite evolved facilities, including canteens that dispensed refreshments.  Today we look at some scenes of that sort, starting with this young bearded man with a Coca Cola at the appropriately named Swallows Sun Island Club.

 

I remember those clunky, sometimes undependable drink machines.

The best thing I can say about them is that the bottles were reused.

 

All kinds of goodies on display here.

 

Here we have a fellow with a fine furry derriere 

waiting for his order at the camp canteen.

 

John here is enjoying that ultimate summer refreshment, ice cream.

 

Lon's Italian Models

Lon of New York, aka Alonzo Hanagan, was fond of Italian models, so today I am 

featuring them in a 10-piece series.  We start with Frank Giardina, a model who had 

a close personal relationship with Lon and learned the skills of physique photography 

from him.  And lest we forget, I need to mention that Lon Hanagan was beaten, arrested, 

jailed, fined, and forced into psychiatric treatment for distributing photos like these.

 

Joe Bongi posed for a relatively rare color photo by Lon Hanagan.  Most of Lon's color work was intended for bodybuilder magazine use, and this might be another example of that.

 

Frank Affrunti strikes an academic pose with a staff in this Lon of New York photo.

 

Vince Perri shows off his classic 50s hair while perched on a column.

 

Although he did more than Douglas of Detroit, Lon didn't do as many derriere shots as some of his peers.  George DeMaria adds an element of quality here to offset the lack of quantity.

 

We get a double shot of Italians in this Lon of New York

 photo of Jerry Rocco (left) and Ernan Cassamassa.

 

Although I love the big smile on Vincent Taffaro's face,

this picture could have been cropped better.

 

Bruno Marino posed for Lon of New York in his jockstrap.

 

This is David Tiano, and his surname originates from a Tuscan term for "frying pan."

 

Fred Massaro had a Boston Blackie mustache when Lon photographed him.

 

Sandow gets plastered . . . plus a few strays

This is the only known frontal nude photo of Eugen Sandow (1867-1925), the German strongman and showman. He became a guru of fitness and male beauty when he moved to London in 1889, and he traveled the world attracting huge crowds of male and female fans.  While in the USA for an extended time in the early 1890s, he lived with his musical accompanist who was rumored to be his gay lover.  These rumors were reinforced when Sandow's wife burned all his personal letters and papers upon his death and buried him in an unmarked grave.  (A fan later provided a handsome marker.)  Sometime around 1900, he agreed to be cast in plaster for a statue in London, and that session is the subject of most of our photos today.  This seems to be the start of the process.

 

The plastering is well under way here, with a combination of frames 

and human hands helping keep Sandow steady and in place.  

No less than four men seem to have their hands on him, lucky guys.

 

Sandow looks nonchalant here as a workman applies plaster while he stands in a washtub. 

 

Sandow seems to be eyeing the camera man after having emerged from the plaster with 

some bits still clinging to his hip and calf . . . and who knows where else.

 

This is said to be the statue made of Eugen Sandow from the plaster casts made in today's series of photos.  It is supposedly kept out of sight in the basement of the Victoria and Albert Museum

 

Eugen Sandow was quite frequently willing to have his derriere photographed, but the preceding photo from the plaster molding session is the only known frontal nude of him.  We do, however, have a large number of fig leaf photos, some of which are quite appealing.

 

Some of the best photos we have of Sandow are from an 1894 session with a photographer named Steckel.  I don't know if this was hand colored by Steckel himself or by someone later.

 

This dramatic image of a gladiator is another example from the Steckel session.

 

Friday Academics, Photos plus Art

Today's double feature is academic in nature.  First we will see some physique photos of 

models in poses reminiscent of academic art.  Next, we'll look at some of that art.  We begin 

with yet another great shot from Douglas of Detroit and yet another unknown model.

 

Al Urban took this photo of Vince Perri.

 

Johnnie Holden posed for Russ Warner in this classically influenced photo.

 

Pat Milo took this photo of Don Evans in a classic seated pose.

 

This AMG image of an unknown (at least to me) 

model uses the classic rope pulling motif.

 

Danish School Academic Art

Our Friday art features 19th Century examples of academic pieces from the Danish School, a style of art that was highly regarded by critics and professors, but not widely known by the public.  This 1897 work is by Sophus Michael Jürgensen, (1873-1958).  Quite good for a student.

 

Whoever the Danish student was who did this drawing, they knew how to capture the play of 

light on muscles . . . and how to give us a peek-a-boo glimpse between the legs.

 

This pensive looking young model appears in some other 

Danish academic works in my collection, but this is the best.

 

This model position in this Danish academic piece roughly matches the 

Western Photography Guild photo of Larry Carr posted earlier in this series.

 

This not too clear image came off an art resale website 

which didn't use the best resolution in their promotional work.

 

Random Beefcake

Today I am cleaning out some of my random beefcake folders.

I can't tell if this guy is dancing or casting a curse in someone's direction . . . or both.

 

I found this guy on a tumblr website with no information.

 

I think he lost something in the water.  Or maybe he's afraid of alligators.

 

All the information that came with this one was "1968."

 

I think this glum looking guy is a 1930-ish British athlete, but I can't remember his name.

 

George Platt Lynes Day

George Platt Lynes was nothing less than a genius of 20th Century photography, and his secret male nudes only came to full light after his death.  This photo of Ted Starkowski is a personal favorite.

 

Gordon Hansen posed for this beautifully lighted Lynes photo.

 

This photo might be the Lynes work the inspired a photo I mistakenly labeled

 as his earlier this year . . . or it might be another modern piece despite the reputable source. 

 

George Platt Lynes is best known to us today for his male nudes, but he made his living doing portraits of celebrities and the well-to-do.  This photo of gay author Somerset Maugham looking over an attractive young man is a personal favorite of mine from the celebrity category.

 

I don't know if the purplish cast visible in this picture was intentional or due to aging of the print.

Lynes wasn't known to use tinting, so it's probably the latter or some other reason.  Lynes never meant for these nudes to be exhibited, but he wisely donated them to the Kinsey Institute.

 

Lynes called this 1941 picture simply "Two Nudes," 

and the models were Tex Smutney and Buddy Stanley

 

Francis Burton Harrison III posed leaning against a desk 

in what is believed to have been Lynes' study ca. 1940.

 

1949 was the date of this Lynes photo of Francisco Moncion.

The cropped out head of the subject was a device used several 

times by Lynes in both his nude and non-nude photographs.

 

Jack Fontan posed for several Lynes photos in and around this unfinished door frame.

 

This is Harvey Young, a gym owner Lynes photographed on a 1947 visit to Hollywood.

He took pictures of a number of celebrities over the years.

 

Physique Models and Dogs

Tuesday's theme is men and dogs, 

and we start with an unknown with a poodle.

Edited to add:  Jack Brazil by Pat Milo according to James IV.  Thanks!

 

Here's yet another scene from one of Bob Mizer's rooftop studio setups,

and that may be the same dog that appears later today in a movie still.