The Boys of Summer, Part 1 - Nude Dudes

Today I'm doing a rare triple feature on baseball.  I started to do all 19th Century pro baseball players in uniform, but that would have resulted in some audible whining.  (I'm not going to mention any names, but you guys know who you are, lol.)  So I caved in and started off with  mid-20th century nudes.

 

Army boots

Who pitches baseball in army boots?  This guy, apparently.

 

Duo

These two dudes on Bob Mizer's roof look ready to play ball.  Speaking of which,

is that a real baseball?  For all I can tell, it might be an orange.

 

Cliff

This 1967 Dave Martin photo features Cliff Harris, a college baseball player for Stanford U.

 

Charles or Chuck?

Bob Mizer billed this model as "Charles Connors."  Some collectors think he was Chuck Connors prior to his success on TV, while others think he was a lookalike.  The real Chuck Connors played both professional baseball and pro basketball, the only person at the time to have done that.

 

The Boys of Summer, Part 2 - 19th Century Teams

Part 2 of our triple feature shows off some late 19th Century baseball teams.  These are the 1888 New York Giants who were sometimes called the "Irishmen" because of all the Irish names.

 

Brooklyn, but not who you think

These guys are the 1888 Brooklyn Bridegrooms.  Yes, that was the real name.  They were the Brooklyn Grays prior to that year, but so many players got married that they changed the team's name.

 

Hartford

These men are the 1876 Hartford Dark Blues.

 

The Boys of Summer, Part 3 - Chromolithographic Baseball Art

In the 1880s color photography was more of a hope than a reality, although a few pioneers were getting some marginal results in labs.  Another process, chromolithography, began as a way to cheaply reproduce fine art in the 1860s and 70s.  By the 1880s baseball stars began to appear in color in advertisements, magazines, and of course on baseball cards.  Usually painted from photo studies of the stars, these became so iconic that the Library of Congress has a collection of them.  That's where I found these, and I'm starting with "Big Dan" Brouthers (6'2", 210 lbs.) who played first base for the Detroit Wolverines when this card for Old Judge and Gypsy Queen cigarettes was made.

Here's a bonus photo of Big Dan:

 

James

This is a relatively unusual format of chromolithographic baseball art in which a player's 

baseball card image was superimposed over an idyllic scene and used as a postcard.  This 

handsome fellow is James H. Fogarty, right fielder for the Philadelphia Quakers in 1887.  

He was an alumnus of Saint Mary's College of California (site of a World War II nude 

body typing photo project) and tragically died at age 27 of tuberculosis.

 

Hardie

This baseball card described Hardie Henderson only as a pitcher, with no team named.

He probably was playing for Baltimore when this was made, but he also worked

 in the 1880s for Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Pittsburgh, and Sioux City.

 

John

John Morrell played first base for the Boston Beaneaters in the 1880s.

Yes, that's really what they called them back then.

 

Jack

Jack Glasscock was the captain of the Indianapolis Hoosiers in 1887.

 

Muybridge Twofers

Today we look at dual panel snippets from Eadweard Muybridge's work.  

I'll caption these two separately.  Left:  "Hmph!"  Right:  "I caught one this big!"

 

Play ball!

This baseball batter seems to actually have his eyes on the ball . . . which we can't see.

 

Bum Brigade Special

Double derriere.

 

Workout

This Muybridge model is working out with some dumbells.

It may have helped because he appears chunkier in other photos.

 

Incline

 

Walking the plank with a funny cap.

Men with Dogs, Part 1 - Nude Models

I got a request from Charlie C. for a series on men with dogs, so I decided to make a double feature out of it.  We start with the first of two Great Danes in the opening R-rated set.

 

Eyes on the Prize

I can't make out what the model is holding, but that German shepherd is intently focused on it.

 

Nice color

Is that a brindle greyhound?  Is there even such a thing?

 

Dog looks familiar

This happy trollop is enjoying a cuddle with a dog that looks like one used in some AMG photos.

It's a fairly generic sort of dog, though, so who knows if Mizer took the picture?

 

On the pier with Fido

Although clearly staged, I think this is from a group of mid-70s photos showing gay men cruising on an abandoned pier in New York City.  The dog looks like he's over the whole thing.

 

Men with Dogs, Part 2 - G-rated

The G-rated part of our double feature kicks off with an explorer and his very large dogs.

(I think this is from an early 20th C. Antarctic expedition.)  The dog being held doesn't 

seem to mind at all while the other patiently awaits his turn.  Nice break from work!

 

Exasperated doggie

The dog is probably thinking, "How long is the guy with the funny 

box gonna make me wait to get that dog biscuit he's holding."

The man just looks bored.

 

Look closely

It took me a minute to realize that this guy in his underwear has not one, but two dogs 

sitting on his lap in an armchair.  And one is giving the camera man a dirty look.

 

Time warp hipster

No, it's not a modern day hipster with his two pets.

Just a 19th Century male sitting in a door sill.

Disclosure:  I removed yellowing from this image.

 

German Shepherd

This handsome fellow with sideburns seems to have taken his dog to the gas station.

The gumball machines are classics.

 

Nudists Playing Shuffleboard

I've probably asked this question before, but do they play shuffleboard anywhere 

except on cruise ships and at nudist camps?  It doesn't seem like it.

 

Not the janitor

At first I wasn't sure if he was playing shuffleboard or sweeping up.

 

Equipment check

Here we see a young man examining the disc, or whatever they call that thing.

 

Downward glance

This fellow looks younger than the typical shuffleboard player, even back then.

 

Classic Lawn Furniture

Those wrought iron lawn chairs were popular in the 50's and 60's and endured far longer in people's yards because they take forever to rust away.  The plastic versions take tacky to a new level.

 

AMG Biographical Overlays

I had a request for some more of Bob Mizer's AMG photos with biographical overlays, 

plus I'm feeling lazy, so I'm only posting the names and letting y'all make up your

 own captions in the comments.  This is Arnold Jarvinen.

To see the meaning of Mizer's squiggles, click on the AMG label and scroll down.

 

Best of Both Worlds Twofer

Dave Wells

 

Derriere

Bob McCune

 

Pair

John Trudeaux and Jerry Cajun

 

Low H.

Paul Duckworth

 

Pairs of Men on the Beach, Part 1 - Nude Duos

Our Sunday double feature has pairs of guys at the beach, starting with 

this naked pair who remind me of Jean Ferrero models.  Are they?

 

Fishy

Is this guy fishing?  He has a stick in one hand and 

a string seems to be faintly extending down from the other.

 

Not Guy Madison

The guy smoking the cigarette reminds me of a Guy Madison 

lookalike whose nude photos were making the rounds a few years ago.

 

Deutsch

I get a German/FKK vibe from this pair of 1930's men who seem to be sharing a private joke.

 

Dilettantes?

"You really must try the Coquilles St. Jacque at Cafe La Douche.  They're simply divine."

 

Pairs of Men on the Beach, Part 2 - Affectionate guys in suits

Part 2 of our beach pairs double feature shows guys in suits who seem more than just a bit chummy.

These two seem quite happy to have paired up.  I'm sure they had a great time at the seashore.

 

Off Center

I wonder if these two guys were photographed by whoever did the preceding photo.  

Same poor cropping, but same top quality beef on display.

 

Sailors

These two affectionate sailors were photographed on shore leave in Panama about 1940.

 

Holding Hands

Not the greatest physical specimens, but they do seem to like each other.

 

Cuddles

Maybe they're just trying to keep each other warm.

 

Tony Sansone by Townsend . . . It's been too long

It's been well over a year since my last series on one of the greatest male models in history, Tony Sansone, and that's way too long.  He had the good sense to develop his body along natural lines that built on his innate good looks.  Last time around, we saw unattributed photos of this superstar, so today we look at five photos of him by Edwin Townsend, starting with this pose with a vase.