Showcasing vintage male photography, mostly nude. You must be 18 years of age or older to visit this blog! If you hold a copyright on any material shown on this blog, notify me, and it will be removed immediately.
Barrington was doubtlessly making a nodding reference to the French acrobat Jules Léotard (1838–1870)- whose name was given to the "leotard" or singlet for women - who was the subject of one of the most famous music hall songs of all time of 1867, "The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze", written by George Leybourne to music by Gaston Lyle. Even in my childhood, a century on, most people in Britain could at least sing the chorus.
Once I was happy but now I'm forlorn Like an old coat that is tattered and torn Left on this wide world to fret and to mourn, Betrayed by a maid in her teens
The girl that I loved she was handsome I tried all I knew her to please But I could not please her one quarter so well Like that man up on the Trapeze
CHORUS: He'd fly through the air with the greatest of ease A daring young man on the flying Trapeze His movements were graceful, all girls he could please And my love he purloined away...
That song has been popular in the USA, too. My grandmother used to sing it whenever my cousins and I got crazy on the playground equipment during our weekly trips to town.
Another handsome, pre-steroid body. And the smile adds much to the picture IMHO. What do you think led to the trapeze pose, though?
ReplyDeleteWhimsy? Barrington could be creative, despite his technical photographic shortcomings.
DeleteBarrington was doubtlessly making a nodding reference to the French acrobat Jules Léotard (1838–1870)- whose name was given to the "leotard" or singlet for women - who was the subject of one of the most famous music hall songs of all time of 1867, "The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze", written by George Leybourne to music by Gaston Lyle. Even in my childhood, a century on, most people in Britain could at least sing the chorus.
ReplyDeleteOnce I was happy but now I'm forlorn
Like an old coat that is tattered and torn
Left on this wide world to fret and to mourn,
Betrayed by a maid in her teens
The girl that I loved she was handsome
I tried all I knew her to please
But I could not please her one quarter so well
Like that man up on the Trapeze
CHORUS:
He'd fly through the air with the greatest of ease
A daring young man on the flying Trapeze
His movements were graceful, all girls he could please
And my love he purloined away...
That song has been popular in the USA, too. My grandmother used to sing it whenever my cousins and I got crazy on the playground equipment during our weekly trips to town.
DeleteYes, the wonderful Eddie Cantor recorded a version with his own inimitable ad lib:
DeleteAnd my love he'd stolen away - alas, alack, Alaska.
There is just something about a naked guy on a swing...very stimulating.
ReplyDeleteThey had saloon girls on swings in the Old West . . . at least in the movies.
Delete