Karlheinz Weinberger II

Karlheinz Weinberger (1921-2006) was a Swiss warehouse worker who photographed gay men, bikers, and hooligans in his spare time in Zurich.  One doesn't think of staid Zurich as much of a place for hooligans, but Mr. Weinberger did several shows on that theme in that city.  Having been there twice, I can tell you that they do have a very active and diverse gay scene.  Anyway, today we will look at ten more images by this quirky and interesting photographer, beginning with this guy who gives me a Rod Stewart vibe.  Must be the hairdo.

Portrait

Although quite good as a portrait photographer, Mr. Weinberger didn't do 

too many of them.  This is one of my favorites by him of the type.

 

Wallpaper

I can't decide if the floral wallpaper is a distraction 

or a good counterpoint to the model.

 

Smile

One doesn't see many smiling Weinberger models,

and that makes this one even more special.

 

Levis

This fellow is popping out of his Levis in a way that will like please many of you.

 

Bison

Color work by this photographer is rare, so I checked to see if this had been colorized later.  

I was pleased to find that it had not, and that the model's name is Oliver Sieber.

 

More than once

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Poofy Hair

When he wasn't photographing hooligans, bikers, or gays, Karlheinz Weinberger would go to wrestling matches and bodybuilding competitions.  This is an example of the latter, and I can't help but wonder if the central figure was chosen for that poofy hair.  It does make him stand out.

 

Tan line

This handsome model has a start on a ditchdigger tan.

 

Tough look

We complete the series with a fellow who seems to be trying to look tough.

 

Karlheinz Weinberger

Two and a half years ago I reorganized my photo file organizing system, and somehow my pictures by Swiss photographer Karlheinz Weinberger ended up in the wrong group of folders.  Well, I accidentally rediscovered them the other day, so here's a new series of his work.  We start with a guy in what appear to be a farmer's hat and motorcycle boots.

 

Vacation

This one was taken on a summer holiday trip to the Mediterranean.

 

Leather

While I don't quite understand the headgear, the leather jacket is an

element that appears fairly often in Weinberger's photos.

 

Not Early 20th C.

When I first saw this photo, I thought it was an early 20th Century work.

Imagine my surprise to find out it was by Karlheinz Weinberger.

 

Ditchdigger Tan

I really like this picture of a beefy man with a ditchdigger tan.

 

Longhair

I suppose they had hippies in Switzerland, and of course Karlheinz Weinberger photographed some.

 

Tank top

The lighting and distressed tank top make this one a bit special.

 

Wrestler

Mr. Weinberger had a sideline of photographing sports figures for Swiss magazines and newspapers.  His usual subjects for this were wrestlers, weightlifters, and bicycle racers, and the example above is one of the less polished of the type.  I chose this shot of a wrestler and his manager waiting in the wings at a match because of a certain bulge.

 

Having a good time

This unknown model seems to be having a good time.

 

Hairy

And last, but not least, we have a hairy biker.  I know he's a biker because he appears

in other Weinberger photos in his motorcycle club leathers with insignia.