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Wednesday, June 30, 2021
Bike Day, Part 1 - Nudes, heavy on the AMG
I had a request for a motorcycle themed double feature, and it came as no surprise that the nude component was heavy on AMG. Bob Mizer must have loved to photograph guys on bikes.
We start with Bobby Black who could proudly lift the front end of a Volkswagen to knee level.
Ace and John
Ace Angell and John Doyle display their AMG name plates in this biker shot.
The look almost like brothers to me.
Steve
The color is a bit washed out in this J. Brian photo of Steve Masters,
but I'm sure some of you will find something to like about it.
Mike?
I know I got this AMG photo from the great blog Men From Back Then,
but I'm not sure about the name. My notes say "Mike Guy."
Bike Day, Part 2 - Motorcycle Cops
Part two of our Bike Day double feature takes a look at 1940's motorcycle cops from all over
North America, starting with these two photogenic fellows from Los Angeles.
Hamilton, Ontario
Gee, Sarge, this is fun, but I like what you taught me back at the dorm better.
OK, I couldn't help that, but the look between these two is just too much to ignore.
New Jersey
I'm sure he could pull some of you over any day.
The double bullet belt is odd. Was that a Jersey thing?
Tuesday, June 29, 2021
Nature Boys
Today's theme is men communing with nature, and we start with a guy
who probably fancied himself to be a spirit guide or some such.
Loving your tree
While he's not hugging that tree, strictly speaking, he does seem to be in love with it.
Ordinary average guy
We close out the nature series with an ordinary guy out for a walk in the woods.
Monday, June 28, 2021
Larry Meadows Day
I recently posted a photo of Larry Meadows, and an anonymous viewer immediately asked for more.
I am more than happy to oblige, starting with this one by Bruce of LA.
Derriere by Kris
I'm a bit puzzled by the photos of Larry Meadows in my Kris Studio collection. Chuck Renslow was pretty fearless about taking frontal nudes, but there are none of Larry Meadows.
Used by kind permission of copyright holder, Leather Archives and Museum of Chicago
That lighting
The photo by Kris that inspired the request for today's Larry Meadows series was in a group of dramatically lighted images. This one also fits that category, perhaps even more so.
Used by kind permission of copyright holder, Leather Archives and Museum of ChicagoPublished
The numbered pages on the photos by Bruce in my small collection of his photos of Larry Meadows make me think they were published in a book or magazine, which is understandable.
Boots
In a typical Chuck Renslow motif, this Kris photo of Larry has a leather element.
Used by kind permission of copyright holder, Leather Archives and Museum of Chicago.
Probably by Bruce
Although this photo of Larry Meadows came with no attribution,
the full frontal nudity makes me think it's by Bruce of LA.
Sunday, June 27, 2021
Whatever happened to Dan Lurie
Dan Lurie was born in Brooklyn, NY on April Fools Day, 1923. Diagnosed with a heart defect as an infant, his parents were told not to expect him to make it to age five. Well, he ended up living to 90 and displayed a dogged determination throughout that long life to never let anything hold him back. A scrawny kid, he took up wrestling and weight lifting to build himself up. By age 17 he was a top high school athlete and appearing as a competitive bodybuilder. At age 18 he was being photographed nude and seminude by some of the best photographers in New York. So today we'll see whatever happened to this amazing guy from Brooklyn who went on to great success and to be inducted in the the National Jewish Athletics Hall of Fame. This set may seem lengthy, but please understand that I actually left a lot of things out and may need to do a second series to do him justice. He was that good.
Cover man
Once his bodybuilding career got underway, Dan Lurie appeared on a number of magazine covers. The left one is from 1942 and is based on the preceding photo. The one at right is from 1947 and interesting because it is a painting that George Quaintance is said to have made from an Earle Forbes photo.
Classic pose
Although he didn't mention it in his autobiography, Dan Lurie never denied that he had posed nude early in his career and honestly answered interviewers' questions about it. In reference to Earle Forbes, he once said, "Yes, quite a few of us posed nude for Earle. We knew he was pitching those to gays on the side, but we didn't really mind because he did great work and got guys into the best magazines.
Drawn in posing strap . . . almost, but not quite
If you look closely at the drawn in posing strap on this Earle Forbes photo of Dan,
you may notice that the equipment coverage is somewhat bit lacking. Oh, well.
Confident and happy
Dan Lurie looks as though he knows he's going to have
a long and successful life in this unattributed photo I suspect is by Al Urban.
Furniture
Some of you may recognize the furniture in this Forbes photo as the same piece used
in at least one photo he made of the immortal Tony Sansone. And speaking of furniture,
Dan and his two brothers got free weight training for years by working in their father's
moving business hefting heavy furniture up and down Brooklyn tenement building stairs.
Dan and his brother Morris
Al Urban took this photo of Dan Lurie and his brother Morris. The two were so hard to tell apart that even some experts have trouble telling which is which. Dan is supposed to be at left here. Morris was older and went into the Army when World War II started. He was tragically killed at Anzio, Italy. Morris was a good boxer, and so was Dan, but Dan's heart murmur sidelined him from the sport.
1943
In 1943, Dan Lurie got the expected callup for military service. He was rejected, however, because of the still present heart murmur that had kept him form competing as a Golden Gloves boxer. The image at right is a clipping from Time magazine describing his disappointment.
Lon?
Dan Lurie is known to have modeled for Earle Forbes, Edwin Townsend, and Al Urban. This unattributed photo's Rococo pedestal makes me think he may have also worked for Lon of NY.
One of the last nude photos?
It's generally accepted that Dan Lurie's physique modeling career extended from about 1941 to 1948-49. This photo by Earle Forbes would appear to be from later in that stretch because Dan's face seems less boyish and his body development in more in keeping with the postwar ideal.
Disclosure: I used Larry K's help to electronically remove a watermark from a strategic spot.
Big Top
Dan Lurie's competitive bodybuilding career was waning when the TV age dawned. So his next move was to land a spot on a popular children's variety show called Sealtest's Big Top. He was billed as "Sealtest Dan, the Muscle Man" from 1950 to 1957. Also appearing on the show was a clown named Ed who was later better known as Johnny Carson's sidekick, Ed McMahon. Here we see Dan getting his makeup applied. I wonder if this lucky makeup guy got to do his whole body?
Doting Father
Dan Lurie has been described as a devoted and loving father despite the demands of his career.
This is his firstborn, a son who was followed by five daughters.
Entrepreneur
Never one to miss a chance to make a buck, Dan Lurie had a number of business ventures over the years, including gyms, mail order bodybuilding lessons, barbells, food supplements, and even scales to track one's weight. That's Lou Ferrigno in the Formula 707 ad.
Promoter of Stars
You will all no doubt recognize the character in the top half of this composite with Dan Lurie, his wife Thelma, and their son as Ahnold. The fellow at lower center is Lou Ferrigno, aka the Hulk. Both of these stars had their careers promoted by a middle aged Dan Lurie at various times and both ended up in litigation with him, but the story goes that they eventually forgave and forgot.
Into his 80's and still active
Mr. Lurie lived to be 90, and he was active promoting fitness and training as late as age 88.
He well deserves his many accolades, and has my respect for being honest and even humorous about his nude modeling. This is the latest photo I could find of this great man.
One last nude
Closing the Dan Lurie series with a favorite taken by Al Urban just before Dan's boxing career was cut short by his heart murmur. Overall, I'd say he never let it hold him back in the least.
Saturday, June 26, 2021
A Note on Fred Kovert's Legacy
While doing research in response to a request for more photos of Jack Conant, I came across something very interesting. For those of you who are interested in such things, a group of 40 fully authenticated Kovert of Hollywood original photos recently went on the auction block. The auction company had set an estimated value at $6,000, but the actual gavel down price paid for the lot was $15,600. Do any of you think that poor Fred, who killed himself due to his legal and financial problems, ever dreamed those pictures would be so valuable? Rest in Peace, Freddie, and know that your work is admired and collected now more than ever. Below are two images of Fred Kovert from his years as a drag performer in the silent movies.
Larry Carr
Those tan lines on Larry Carr harken back to the days
when it was gauche for men's bathing suits to show navel.
Kovert of Hollywood
Freddie Kovert was the moving force behind Kovert of Hollywood, a photo studio that
did virtually nothing but male nudes in the years immediately after World War II. It turns
out that Freddie may have been more of an artistic director and talent recruiter than a
photographer as recent research has found that many of the photos were taken by hired
professionals. Tragically, Fred's business ran afoul of the law, and he committed suicide
in 1949 in the face of arrest and legal fees. This is Jack Conant.
Freddie Shields
A coil of rope seems to be serving as a seat for Freddie Shields, a model whose
work for Kovert of Hollywood leaves me only wishing for more.
Friday, June 25, 2021
1900-ish, Part 1 - Nude Italian Photos
Friday's double feature showcases naked Italians from around 1900. In the photos of part one, I have assembled some images that I am certain are Italian and of that era, but for which I have no photographer attributions. We start with a 1905 photo of a man with a staff and a crucifix.
Derriere
This picture shows the same partial balustrade as the opening photo
in today's series, but I'm pretty sure that this is a different model.
Young Bacchus?
The nudity of this Bacchanalian themed photo is subdued,
yet it still manages to be very erotic.
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