Donald Windham

This is Donald Windham on Fire Island in 1938.

 

Fire Island

The last time I did a Fire Island series, it was all PaJaMa photos.  This time I'm branching out.

We start with a lovely color shot of The Hot House from 1958.

 

Dune Men I

Mr. Scumbeast sent me this and the following photo of two men in the Fire Island dunes without knowing where they were taken.  It'wasn't until years late that I made the connection.

 

Dune Men II

Here's another from the dunes.

 

1970

It was 1970 when these men got together on Fire Island.  I was busy getting tear gassed at anti-war protests in Austin at the time, but I wasn't ready to join them anyway.

 

Amateur

I love the expression on the guy's face, but I wish the amateur 

photographer hadn't cast his shadow across his lovely behind.

 

Bartenders?

My source said that this photo shows a ritual dance done by the bartenders at a 

Cherry Grove hot spot in the 1970s.  Only a few of the patrons are looking at them.

 

Fever

This is a still promo shot from a porn movie called Fire Island Fever, or so my source says.  They even made commemorative t-shirts for the cast and crew that are now hot collectors' items.

 

Bling

The jewelry is overdone, but hey, it was the 70s on Fire Island.

 

Cherry Grove 1977

These two skinny lads were photographed at Cherry Grove in 1977.

 

1970s?

Our last shot from Fire Island looks like 1970's to me,but my notes only say 

that it came from a retrospective piece on Fire Island beefcake and porn.

 

Three models

These three models who had their shorts on when the 1950 photo was made are Jensen Yow, 

Jack Fontan, and Bill Harris, all of whom also modeled for George Platt Lynes.

The hazy look makes me think of the mists of time.

 

The gang's all here

This 1950 photo features (l-r) George Platt Lynes, 

Glenway Westcott, Jared French and Paul Cadmus.

 

Jared and Paul 1939

Paul Cadmus was never as eager to pose fully nude as Jared French.  This shot of him in profile on the beach at Fire Island in 1939 is about as much of a package view as we ever get.

 

Jack Fontan

 

One of the PaJaMa group captured this interesting shot of Jack Fontan on Fire Island in 1950.

Jared and the Lighthouse

Although PaJaMa was a collective, that was mainly in the arena of photography.  The three members paintings and drawings were so distinctively different that they were presented 

individually.  And even in the realm of photography, we can sometimes make out 

individual works and styles.  Most of the PaJaMa Fire Island nudes with Jared French 

as the model are thought to be the work of his wife Margaret Hoening French.

 

Margaret Hoening French

Although her painting work is generally eclipsed by that of her husband Jared French and 

PaJaMa partner Paul Cadmus, Margaret Hoening French was a fairly accomplished artist.  

This Fire Island inspired piece is called The Moon by Day, and it was done in 1938.

Enlarge it if you can, and you will see some nice details.

 

Donald Windham II

Here is another view of Donald Windham from 1938.

 

1945 Jared and Paul

Our final PaJaMa Fire Island image shows Paul Cadmus 

pulling in a net with Jared French in it from 1945.

 

Duffy's Hotel Bar

This photo isn't by Richard Avedon, but is sort of about him.  It was taken in 1946 by Paul Himmel at Duffy's Hotel Bar near Cherry Grove on Fire Island.  Mr. Himmel and his wife Lillian Bassman shared a summer cottage there with Mr. Avedon and his wife Doe, and there is some evidence that the two men had an affair.  Ms. Bassman took the photo of the Avedons with Paul below.