Memorial Day, 2021

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

I'm taking a moment today to be serious and honor some men from my home region of Texas who were killed in World War II.  May they Rest in Peace.

Lt. Alvin M. James of Dalhart, Texas was taken prisoner in the Philippines in 1942 and survived the Bataan Death March only to die in a Japanese prison camp 24 October, 1944.

Pvt. Lloyd Cupp of Huckabay, Texas was killed in action during the liberation of Belgium on 5 September, 1944.

Sgt. William T. Wright of Eliasville, Texas was shot down and killed in action over North Africa on 29 November, 1942.

Lt. Harold Adams of Walnut Springs, Texas went missing in action on New Guinea in 1942 and declared lost in 1943.

Pvt. Ralph Tidwell of Munday, Texas was killed in action coming on shore at Normandy on D-Day, 6 June, 1944.

- - - - - - - - - -

I don't believe in war and don't seek to glorify it, but these men deserve to be remembered.

Blue Skies

After an uncharacteristically long spate of overcast days, we finally have brilliant sunshine 

in my part of Hawaii today.  I'm celebrating by putting on a rare all color series of men 

silhouetted against blue skies, and we start with Johnny Stumps by Bob Mizer of AMG.

 

David and Sven up a Tree

David Knight and Sven Holm appear in a large dead tree in this double derriere by Champion.

 

Glen in Kodachrome

The great Don Whitman of Western Photography Guild took this photo of Glen Hudson at a location rather different from his usual Rocky Mountain scenes.  I think the intense color may be Kodachrome.

 

Shafter

I've always like this Sierra Domino Studio photo of "Shafter" against the sky 

on a concrete wall.  I have a feeling that his name came from the movie Shaft.

 

Gary

Closing out the series with this Mel Roberts photo of Gary Seegar on a knoll by the ocean.

 

Pat Rocco Sunday

Time for another Pat Rocco series.  For some information on the amazing character that was Pat Rocco, click on the lable for previous posts with a lot of info.  This is Greg Lion from 1970.

 

The Winners

For quite a few years, Pat Rocco's SPREE organization had a Groovy Guy Contest, and these were the winners for an unnamed year in the 70s.  I'm guessing the guy with the biggest trophy won first place.

 

Leather wannabe?

This one came captioned "Gary in leather and skin."

I say, "Lots of skin, not much leather, and not too convincing."

Having said that, there is a certain appeal there.

 

More convincing

Kellway Pollack from 1975 is a somewhat more convincing leather man than Gary.

 

Bare at Big Bear

Pat Rocco titled this photo Big Bares, undoubtedly a reference to a forested area called Big Bear in the mountains northeast of LA.  I've been there in the winter to play in the snow. 

 

Rivals?

There seems to be some sort of symbolism going on here.

 

Older guys

And just so you don't get the idea that Pat Rocco only photographed young studs,

I'm including these two campy gentlemen from a SPREE pool party.

 

Danny and his Drum

This character in boots and a headband with a drum was only named as "Danny."

I think Danny likes to make boom-boom.

 

Moose

This is Bob "Moose" Brophy standing on a ledge somewhere in the hills overlooking LA.

You'll see another view of him with a mini-bio in the next panel.

 

Brophy with Bio

Pat Rocco was a realist and not a bad businessman.  He used sponsorships from bars, bath houses, boutiques and other gay businesses to help raise money for the his publications as well as for community outreach and charity programs.  Here we see Moose Brophy in a mustache and speedo representing a place called The Lodge.  I have to say I like this better than the preceding nude.

 

Bob Cutlass Day

Bob Cutlass is a great model who appeared in about a dozen and a half 

Ralph Kelly photos.  Known for his big smile, we'll start off his feature with a nice grin

 and catch some more serious expressions before getting back to that smile.

 

Suitable for framing

Ralph Kelly used an empty picture frame as an interesting prop in this photo of Bob Cutlass.

And what are those star-like thingies attached to the frame?

 

Deer or touchdown?

There's a slight "deer in the headlights" thing going on in 

this photo of Bob Cutlass.  Or is he signaling a touchdown?

 

Serious

Mr. Cutlass looks serious here, but he should be happy to get his name right on the picture.

 

Smile

Ending Bob Cutlass day appropriately with a big smile.

 

Early 20th Century, Part 1 - Male Nude Photos

Today we're making a trip through the first half of the 20th Century,

starting with this fellow and his mirror from 1931.

 

Trio

Here we have a trio of early 20th Century derrieres.

 

Subdued

Despite the subdued nudity, I really like this undated photo.

 

Languid

I might have posted the languidly posed young man before, but he's worth a repeat.

 

1920-something

I believe this photo is from the 1920s, mainly based on the hair style.

 

Early 20th Century - Intermission and Segue - P.C. Harry Daley

Harry Daley (1901-1971) was a London Metropolitan Police Constable who is one of the most unlikely and fascinating characters from gay history I have ever come across.  He was an openly gay policeman at a time (1925-50) when any sex acts between men were illegal.  When asked why he never tried to hide it, he said,  "A fox can't be chased if he won't run."  Harry became an unlikely member of the influential Bloomsbury Group when he chatted up playwright J.R. Ackerley on the doorstep of Ackerley's Hammersmith house while on duty and ended up going inside for a romp in the hay.  Afterward, the two discussed classical music, theater, and avante garde art.  That led to introductions to and affairs with E.M. Forster, Edward Sackville-West, Duncan Grant and others.  Busy guy.  

 

Come to the station

"You've been such a bad, bad boy.  Now come along with me to the station."

And speaking of the station, Harry Daley once took his lover J.R. Ackerley to 

spend the night in his sleeping cubicle at the police station.  The officer in charge 

said nothing, apparently being used to it.  Ackerley was writing for the BBC at the 

time and arranged for Harry to be interviewed on the radio about his police work.

 

A little help from his friends

The Surrey History Centre says that this grainy snapshot is Harry Daley and a group of his friends

 in the 1920s.  I can't for the life of me figure out which one he might be, though.

 

Traffic duty

This picture of Harry directing traffic in London is supposed to be from a newspaper.  Note the bright colored cuffs used to aid visibility.  Harry's superior officers were amazingly tolerant of his lifestyle, partly because of his fearless attitude and partly because he was very good at his job.  The other cops would even joke about how the flannel trousers he wore when off duty showed off his bulge.

 

Busted or Bedded?

I can't tell if Harry Daley is about to arrest this young man or make love to him.  As it turns out, it could easily have been both.  Harry was well known to have bedded a number of the petty criminals he arrested over the years, and they are said to have been willing.  And he had flings with other cops, too.

 

Painted by Duncan Grant

Through his contacts with the Bloomsbury Group, P.C. Daley became the subject of this rather nice portrait by noted artist Duncan Grant.  And that's our segue into the next segment of today's series.

 

Early 20th Century, Part 2 - Duncan Grant's Male Nudes

I've posted work by Duncan Grant before, but I recently came across a London gallery website 

which generously posted some of his previously unpublished male nudes.  Although he was active 

up until shortly before his death in 1978, he is best known for his work in that pioneering group 

of mostly gay and bisexual London intellectuals and artists who made up the Bloomsbury Group 

in the first half of the 20th Century.  This photo shows Mr. Grant about 1930.

 

Standing

Duncan Grant was sparing when it came to titles for his male nude works, with most of those I can find either having no name or just a few descriptive words.  This is Standing Male Nude.

 

Fitzroy Street

Duncan Grant called this one, Male Nude, Fitzroy Street.

 

Duo

I don't know what the objective was here (acrobatics?), 

but it really makes for a very pleasant painting.

 

That look

The model seems to connect with the viewer through his look.

 

Drawing

I love the facial expression in this undated and untitled Duncan Grant drawing.

 

Flattop Haircuts

The flattop was a trademark hair style of the 1950's and is the theme for today's series.

We start with David Selhime as photographed by Chuck Renslow of Kris Studio.

Used by kind permission of copyright holder, Leather Archives and Museum of Chicago.

 

Al

Al Rich had oil on his body and wax, probably a popular brand 

called "Butchwax," on his hair in this photo by Dave Martin.

It took some pretty stiff product to get those tufts at the side to stand up.

 

Mr. Deckman

Pat Milo took this very attractive photo of Don Deckman.

 

Don

Don Hawksley used plenty of Butchwax in this photo by an unknown photographer.

 

Russell

This Pat Milo model with a flattop was labeled only "Russell."

 

Gymnastics Day

Today is Gymnastics Day, and we start the show with Claude Pedro Saba,

probably photographed by Bob Harvest at a French nudist resort.

 

Is this in the Olympics?

I like the approach these guys took, but I could suggest a few even more interesting arrangements.

 

Tatty Rings

Something could go very wrong here,

but the old Citroen is nice.  (Please let that be a Citroen.)