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Friday, March 19, 2021


A few years after Der Act, Koch produced a memorable outdoor series of physically robust nude males he called Freilicht, which translates as "Free Light."  This was in 1897, about the same time as the Vandervogel movement of outdoor youth activities, often nude, became popular.

 

5 comments:

  1. I've seen this image several times, but usually in such a clear version. Wow, stunning, so inspiring. I tried a few like this myself.

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    1. I have several copies of this photo of varying quality, and wonder if this one's sharpness was enhanced with software. If so, it's odd that they left the yellowing. Perhaps the others are just low resolution scans.

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  2. That should have been "but not usually in such a clear version". I like the yellowing. I wonder if the guy on the right shaved himself? Fairly smooth apart from the legs, trimmed bush, but such hairy balls.

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    1. I've never come across any descriptions of the models and/or strong men of that era shaving body hair, but that doesn't mean they didn't do it. The usual explanation for the lack of body hair in male nude photos of the late 19th C. is "blanching" caused by the harsh lighting necessary for photography at the time.

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    2. Clearly a subject I need to fully investigate. I wonder if any of the many "Turkish" baths offered it as a service.

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