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.
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Friday, December 1, 2023
Square on
Lots of squares here . . . square head, square shoulders, and squared off ocean, beach and sky.
I like the openness of this shot. No cutesy stuff, no pretentious artiness, just a picture of a good-looking male who isn't ashamed of his penis and scrotum. Thank you, Jerry.
There is actually quite a story behind this photo.
The photographer is Richard Renaldi, and the subject is his boyfriend Seth Boyd. It was taken on the shore of Lake Michigan in the summer of 2000. Renaldi was going to use it in a collection he was putting together called Naked Gay Friends. In 2003, this photo ended up in an art gallery exhibition in NYC called Yossi Milo. It was purchased by an art collector named Mark O'Donnell.
A year or two later, Mark O'Donnell met former NJ Governer Jim McGreevey (who resigned in 2004, declaring that he is a gay American -- of course, there were other factors that compelled McGreevey to resign). He and Mark started dating and soon decided to live together. They are still together today.
The picture of Seth was prominently displayed in their bedroom. When McGreevey's ex-wife found out that their daughter "would have been exposed" to this picture, she sued for full custody of their daughter. McGreevey and O'Donnell decided to just give the picture away rather than lose shared custody of McGreevey's daughter.
There is more to the story. When Seth's parents found out, they urged that the photo be made public, so people would see that it's not pornographic. The photo made the rounds of several venues.
The story can be found at http://jmcolberg.com/weblog/2007/05/the_actual_naked_truth_by_richard_renaldi/.
Thanks 2ndWave! I knew this wasn't vintage and it had some ties to a national story. If I would have recalled that some NJ politician had a tie-in to the photo, I may have recalled the story.
Gov. McGreevey had one helluva CV. Georgetown Law, Harvard, Columbia and the London School of Economics. After he resigned he got a Masters in Divinity from an Episcopal seminary. The church, however, declined to ordain him.
@ James IV -- I was so glad when I heard he moved on from the Catholic Church and started studies in the Episcopal Church. I believe the Bishop at the time thought that Jim had too much of a controversial background to ordain him. I have no doubt that Jim was extremely disappointed. But true to his nature, he turned this roadblock into a stepping stone, and is engaged in a lot of charitable work that he can probably do better as a layperson than he could if he were an ordained priest (Episcopal, Catholic, or otherwise).
I am from NJ, and met Jim on 3 or 4 occasions -- always in large group situations. We chatted a few times, and I have to say that given his connections to the rich and (occasionally) famous, he never acted full of himself. He always seemed very down to earth. I think his personal struggles kept him grounded.
I like the openness of this shot. No cutesy stuff, no pretentious artiness, just a picture of a good-looking male who isn't ashamed of his penis and scrotum. Thank you, Jerry.
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, B.D.!
DeleteI like this one, a very simple shot of a very handsome fellow!
ReplyDeleteSometimes simplicity wins out.
DeleteThis could be the pic being taken, by the small engine dude with a camera.
ReplyDeleteThere is actually quite a story behind this photo.
ReplyDeleteThe photographer is Richard Renaldi, and the subject is his boyfriend Seth Boyd. It was taken on the shore of Lake Michigan in the summer of 2000. Renaldi was going to use it in a collection he was putting together called Naked Gay Friends. In 2003, this photo ended up in an art gallery exhibition in NYC called Yossi Milo. It was purchased by an art collector named Mark O'Donnell.
A year or two later, Mark O'Donnell met former NJ Governer Jim McGreevey (who resigned in 2004, declaring that he is a gay American -- of course, there were other factors that compelled McGreevey to resign). He and Mark started dating and soon decided to live together. They are still together today.
The picture of Seth was prominently displayed in their bedroom. When McGreevey's ex-wife found out that their daughter "would have been exposed" to this picture, she sued for full custody of their daughter. McGreevey and O'Donnell decided to just give the picture away rather than lose shared custody of McGreevey's daughter.
There is more to the story. When Seth's parents found out, they urged that the photo be made public, so people would see that it's not pornographic. The photo made the rounds of several venues.
The story can be found at http://jmcolberg.com/weblog/2007/05/the_actual_naked_truth_by_richard_renaldi/.
Wow, that's a potboiler of a story.
DeleteThanks 2ndWave! I knew this wasn't vintage and it had some ties to a national story. If I would have recalled that some NJ politician had a tie-in to the photo, I may have recalled the story.
DeleteGov. McGreevey had one helluva CV. Georgetown Law, Harvard, Columbia and the London School of Economics. After he resigned he got a Masters in Divinity from an Episcopal seminary. The church, however, declined to ordain him.
Thanks for the memories!
@ James IV -- I was so glad when I heard he moved on from the Catholic Church and started studies in the Episcopal Church. I believe the Bishop at the time thought that Jim had too much of a controversial background to ordain him. I have no doubt that Jim was extremely disappointed. But true to his nature, he turned this roadblock into a stepping stone, and is engaged in a lot of charitable work that he can probably do better as a layperson than he could if he were an ordained priest (Episcopal, Catholic, or otherwise).
DeleteI am from NJ, and met Jim on 3 or 4 occasions -- always in large group situations. We chatted a few times, and I have to say that given his connections to the rich and (occasionally) famous, he never acted full of himself. He always seemed very down to earth. I think his personal struggles kept him grounded.