I think this is Duncan's photo of the cast of Hair.

Ballet dancer Ivan Michaud posed for this Ken Duncan photo.

Even though it's G-rated, I had to include this Kenn Duncan photo of Brad Davis.

George Quaintance Day, Part 2 - Erotic Art

During his lifetime, George Quaintance could not do what he really wished, which was to publish fully nude paintings and drawings.  The work he was able to publish is quite erotic despite this limitation.  A method he used to add authenticity to the semi-nude work he did was to do a fully nude study version, and then copy it as a final and complete painting in which he would paint over the genitals at the last moment.  Here we can see an example in "Island Boy."

This is an example of how George Quaintance skirted the censorship laws.  OK to show derrieres, but the boot had to be strategically placed to shadow the crotch.  There was probably a full on version of this at one time, but most of those are lost to us.

I found this image attributed to Quaintance on an art resale website, but there was no title.

Although it looks like it could be by him, I'm not positive.  If it is, it's a rare full on frontal nude that he probably kept private during his lifetime.

Quaintance also tried his hand at sculpture, and this is his version of Narcissus.

This 1947 Quaintance painting has a Hawaiian theme and name, "Kanaka," which means "native."

However well intentioned, the guy doesn't look very Hawaiian, although the net does.

George Quaintance Day, Part 1 - Photos

George Quaintance was born in rural Virginia in 1902, and both he and his parents figured out he was gay by the time he was 10.  Surprisingly, his folks accepted it and sent him to art school in New York as soon as he was old enough.  After stints as a dancer, hairdresser, and vaudeville performer, George found his niche as a painter.  Starting with celebrity portraits, he soon moved on to do covers for muscle man magazines.  (I have about 30 of those in my files and will do a series someday.)  That led to homoerotic images which pushed the censorship limits of the day.  So today is George Quaintance day, and we will start with some photos before moving on to his art later.  The shot above is a probably retouched self portrait he autographed for a friend in 1952.  I suspect the photo is older.

Here we see Bill Bredlau in the first of two George Quaintance photos of him in today's series.

This Quaintance photo of Bob Spahn might thrill the Bum Brigade's President Albert.

George Quaintance lived and worked in Phoenix for the last five years of his life, 1952-57.

This photo of an unknown model is labeled "Arizona Gem."

This is Bill Bredlau smoking in a photographic study for one of Quaintance's paintings.

This Quaintance model is labeled only as "Skip" in my files.

Special Bonus Photo, Scotty Bowers

This is Scotty Bowers, the now famous (in certain circles) "gay pimp to the stars."  Scotty was a returning World War II GI who got a job pumping gas in Los Angeles.  His real job, however, was fixing up the closeted gay movie stars of the day (both male and female) with hot dates for pay.  Among his clients and tricks were Spencer Tracy,  Katherine Hepburn, Walter Pidgeon, Tyrone Power, Cole Porter, Vivian Leigh, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.  Somehow in the midst of all that, he found time to pose for this photo by George Quaintance.  Too bad he kept is pants on!

Military Men Showing Off

Today's theme is military men showing off.  We start with five GIs in what is one of my very favorite army photos ever.  I'd love to have spent a weekend on leave with these guys and a few drinks.

The men in this photo have mixed reactions to the camera, 

but at least one seems to be enjoying himself.

Well, Signalman West may not know he's on camera, but he's certainly putting 

on a show for some guy with binoculars who's reading his flag signals.

These World War I soldiers are proudly (with one exception) giving the cameraman a Full Monty treatment.  And second from right in the front row seems to be relieving himself at the same time.

This guy seems to be putting on a show behind the barracks with an observer in the doorway.

John Graham of London, Part 2 - Non-nudes

Our G rated John Graham series starts with this rather artistic shot of Howard Powell, 

a model who also appeared in today's nude series.

John Hague appears in this expertly lighted Graham photo.

These two men comprise the only duo in my John Graham collection.

This Graham photo of an unknown model has a strong Lon of New York or Al Urban flavor to it.

Alwyn Murtagh is featured in this simple, but pleasing Graham posing strap photo.

John Graham of London, Part 1 - Nudes

Way back in December, I posted two photos by John Graham in a series called "British Beef."  That left me wanting more, but I have only found about a dozen more nudes by Graham along with a half dozen seminudes and posing pouch photos.  I will keep looking for more because I really like Graham's work.  Any help of submissions will be appreciated and credited.  We start today's R series with this shot of Clive Norman, one of Graham's most frequent models from what I can tell.

This is Tom Knott, a model who posed for several of John Graham's photos.

John Graham photographed this unknown model in a very statuesque pose.

This is Howard Powell, and the photo came to me attributed to both John Graham and Vince of London.  Howard is a great model, but the photo quality could be better.

I found this photo in a group clearly identified as by John Graham, 

but with no further information than the word "North."  Models name?

Nudist Royalty

I've commented in the past on the pioneering use of male nudes in nudist magazines.  Not only did they show male frontal nudity, but they also had beauty contests that included male contestants.  So today I will feature some crowned kings of nudism, starting with a middle aged division winner.

I have no less than four photos of this "king" in various triumphant poses.

Today's color offering features a guy who looks quite happy with himself.

I haven't been able to figure out what this guy might have won for.  Any suggestions?

This fellow must be really special.  He got a crown and a trophy.

Dave Martin, Annotated

The enormously talented physique photographer David Martin was in the habit of sometimes sticking notes on some of his photos giving the name, interests, and group affiliations of the models.  Most of these were college students, but some were soldiers, sheet metal workers, and even a cop.  Today I am featuring paired captioned and uncaptioned photos of the same models.  We start with Wilbur "Bud" Counts, one of my favorite bigger models of the 50's.

Brad Payne has that "clenched" concave buttock, but the photo still appeals to me.

John Silva is one of my favorite Martin models, and I'd love to know how a student from Phoenix linked up with the Bay Area based photographer.

This photo of Greg Bradford is one of the few captioned by Dave Martin for which I could not find a matching uncaptioned version.  I'm including it for the amusement of Albert and the Bum Brigade.
Edited to add:  See comment below by Carlorman for some interesting additional information.

Cliff Harris from 1967 was one of the latest captioned models in Dave Martin's portfolio.  

Most were from the mid-1950's. 

Going Native, Part 2 - Non-nudes

All I can say to describe this Australian Aboriginal man is "simply beautiful."

These Fijian men may be a bit overdressed for some of your tastes, but I still think it's a good photo.

Frederick Monsen took this photo of a Native American in Arizona in 1902.  Monsen did his best to document with dignity the remaining Natives of the American Southwest.  Google him to see a lot more really good images, but do realize that some of them can't help but be sad.

This group of Samoans were forcibly exiled to Saipan by their German colonial overlords in 1904 for daring to question the occupation of their home islands.  The Japanese, of all people, liberated them in 1915 as part of their campaign to take over German Pacific Island outposts.  This little known element of World War I left the Japanese in control of some strategic islands that the Americans in turn took from them in World War II.  That sort of mess just goes on and on, doesn't it?

I always thought Maori men were heavily tattooed, but my usually 

well informed source tells me that this is a Maori from the early 20th Century.

Going Native, Part 1 - Naked Tribesmen

Our theme all day Sunday is tribal men.  We start in Tierra del Fuego with some members of a now disappeared tribe preparing for a large ceremony performed by over a dozen nude men.  I will feature more of this group of photos in a future series.

I believe these men with interesting neckwear are Amazonian tribesmen, 

but I could be wrong.  I've been wrong before.

I have no date for this photo of a Tahitian man with traditioal tattoos.

This studio photo may have been made in a European city using a colonial immigrant as a model, but I unfortunately can't find anything to substantiate that hypothesis. 

Patagonian tribesman.