Nick Martin by David of Cleveland

We get a nice smile in this David of California photo of Nick Martin.

 

David of Cleveland

I'm a bit doubtful of the attrbution of this photo of an unknown to David of Cleveland.

Most of what I've seen by that studio is full frontal nudity and far less artistic.

 

Obscure Studio - David of Cleveland II

When I posted a series on David of Cleveland a few years ago, I didn't have enough to do a second series.  Since then, however, I've come across some more, so here we go again.  We start with Buddy Cain (left) and Bruce Doyle in some jokey wrestling . . . so jokey that they're giggling.

 

Different

This is the first of two photos in today's set that stand out as very different from the rest of David of Cleveland's work.  The plain, dark background and artistic lighting put it a level or two above the rest.  The resale website where I found it is well curated, and its group brought a good price.

 

Lance

This is Lance Weston getting out of his BVDs

 

Nick and Phil

These two not at all convincing wrestlers are Nick Martin and Phil Miles.

I'm not sure, but I think that's Nick on top.

 

Keith

Our splash of color features Keith Ericson and some orange curtains.

 

Questionable

I think I've seen this one attributed somewhere to someone other than 

David of Cleveland, so I'm not 100% sure about it.  Anybody know?

 

Edgy?

"Edgy" was the word used to describe this by the website where I found it.

Well, it might have been a bit edgy in 1967, but not any more.

And what is that insignia on the model's cap?

 

Buddy and Bruce II

Here are Buddy Cain (left) and Bruce Doyle again,

and they still have the giggles.

 

George

George Roth is showing off his assets in this David of Cleveland photo.

 

Another sold item

This last David of Cleveland photo is another from that lot of 14 which sold for $1250 on line. 

The quality is outstanding, and as I noted earlier, it's nothing like most work from that studio. 

 

Obscure Studio - David of Cleveland

We don't usually think of Cleveland in terms of physique photography, but there was at least one photographer based there.  David of Cleveland appeared on the scene in the mid-1960s, and disappeared rather quickly.  Most of his work that I can find straddles the end of the posing strap era, and biographical information is just not out there.  Anyway, today I am featuring 10 of what I think are the best of my 22 piece collection, and that 10 includes all five of my fully nude shots.

 

Buddy Cain seems to have Bruce Doyle (you'll have to take my word that's him) 

in some sort of very interesting wrestling hold.  I have this photo from two sources,

and one dates at 1968 while the other says 1964.

 

  Apparently David of Cleveland's work was prominently featured 

in this 1964 Studio Quarterly special edition of Trim magazine.

George Roth has a cigarette and a sea captains hat in this David of Cleveland photo.

 

Here we have Nick Martin on a classic mid-century sofa.

 

I think these two unknown models are the same guys as the duo in todays opening photo, and I find it interesting that one has on a mesh posing strap and the other nothing at all.  At that time, having just one frontal nude would land you in jail, so I thought, "What's the point?"  Then I realized that the juxtaposition does add an element of interest.  The nude guy is checking out the other's crotch, 

while the other casts an odd sort of angelic look skyward.  I've decided that I like it.

 

This image of Ray Wilson appears to be a camera shot of a magazine page.

This is the only photo of Ray that I could find.

 

 George Roth makes his third appearance here today in leather boots and BVDs.