PaJaMa Collective Series

Our series today includes a mix of PaJaMa Collective photos, some from the Smithxonian, 

such as the study of Arthur Dunne above, and others from collectors and museums.

 

Todd Bolender

Here we see a vacation photo made at Provincetown in 1947.

The subject is ballet dancer Todd Bolender.

 

Smithsonian Study II

This unknown African-American fellow appears in at least half a dozen "down and dirty" 

low quality photographic studies from the Smithsonian's collection of PaJaMa's work.  

Despite the technical limitations, the vibrancy and enthusiasm of his modeling come through.  

We will see him again later today paired with a white model.

 

George Platt Lynes 1941

This 1941PaJaMa photo of George Platt Lynes looks like something he would have done himself.

It is part of the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art and well documented as PaJaMa.

The title attached to it is simply "America," and I think it's pure genius.

 

Donald Windham

This is Donald Windham on Fire Island in 1938.

 

Jared in the Foam, Twice

We always have a frontal nude of Jared French in these PaJaMa series, not only because 

he was quite prolific about posing nude, but also because the pictures are often good.  

I'm showing two versions of this one.  Above we have a silver gelatin print that sold 

for a solid price on an online resale site, and below we have a version from 

the Smithsonian study collection.  It may seem odd, but in some ways, 

I like the lower version better.

 

Classic

There's something timelessly classic about this photograph of Sandy Campbell and a dog.

Paul Cadmus is said to have taken this picture in 1944, having met Sandy, 

a Princeton drama student, at a party the preceding year.

 

Smithsonian Study III

Here is the previously shown African-American study model with a friend.

 

Outlier

I have no information on this photo, but I stongly suspect someone colorized it.

I can find no evidence of PaJaMa having used color film, but I could 

be wrong.  I've been wrong lots of times.

 

Smithsonian Study IV

Closing with another blurry study, the model for which I rather admire.

 

Smithsonian PaJaMa Collection

Taking another look at the PaJaMa Collective's photographic work which Margaret Hoening French donated to the Smithsonian after Jared French's death.  We start with Mel Fillini 

posing in a study which was used for the painting, The Sea.

 

Jonathan Tichenor

This is Jonathan Tichenor showering at Fire Island.

 

Paul and Jared

Margaret Hoening French took this photo of her husband

 Jared French (standing) and his lover Paul Cadmus.

 

Marked

Someone in PaJaMa marked this up for cropping, but no one has ever found the finished product if there even was one.  There's something about it that grabbed my attention that I can't describe.

 

Paul Cadmus

Paul Cadmus was notably shy about being photographed fully nude,

and this is about as close to a frontal shot as one will find.

 

Bob Wallace

This is Bob Wallace from 1947.

 

Unknown

Another of the many unknown models in the Smithsonian's PaJaMa collection.

 

Another

I've posted quite a few photos over the years of this attractive PaJaMa unknown model.

This one is a bit grainy, but he still shines through.

 

John Butler

This is John Butler from 1945.

 

Jared

You regulars knew we weren't going to get through this without a naked photo of Jared French, who posed for literally hundreds of them in the Smithsonian donation.  At least this one is rather different.