I recently managed to find a few "new" male nudes by British photographer John Graham. Most of them were of Clive Norman, shown above. I'll post more in a future series. I have to confess that Mr. Graham is probably better known in collectors' circles than most of the other photographers in this series. It's the rarity of his full nudes that sets him apart.
Wonderful pose showing off those beautiful muscles.
ReplyDeleteClive Norman competed at the HSL Mr Britain Jr 1948 contest and came in second, so competitive was bodybuilding at that time in the UK. The Health and Stength League of Britain promoted weightlifting and bodybuilding and founded the NAABA in 1950, the official bodybuilding organization of Britain.
ReplyDeleteNot much of Graham’s work can be found as it is hoarded by collectors.
As such images were considered to be a crime against the crown, not many are still around from that time, though Graham did have his photos published in physique magazines. In Soho we had booksellers that sold physique magazines and photographs quite openly in spite of the law.
Photographer John Graham and physique model Clive Norman, the best of Britain. 🇬🇧
Sad to say, but a lot of frontal nudes from that era are coming into circulation as th0se collectors pass away and their estates go up for auction. I've long since lost count of all the "new" images I have found on estate sale websites.
DeleteImage magnifiquement composée du bel homme Clive Norman. Graham reveals his best physical asset and fine form :)
ReplyDeleteI regularly search for more of Mr. Graham's excellent work, alas, usually without success.
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