Continental, always over the top

Always fashionable, always busy, and always over the top, the Continental Baths in New York City was one of the most iconic gay venues ever.  Located in the basement of the venerable Ansonia Hotel, it had a pool, buffet, steam room, sauna, workout facilities, disco, cabaret bar, and the usual assortment of bunk rooms and cubicles.  Musical acts in the cabaret became legendary, with the Divine Miss M (shown below) and Barry Manilow being among the performers.

 

Man's Country Chicago

This mural and caution sign are from Man's Country in Chicago.  By most accounts, 

you were more likely to catch the clap in that orgy room than to fall and hurt yourself.

 

Socializing at the Continental

The Continental also had multiple lounges where patrons could socialize.

 

From a series

 I've posted other stills from this photo shoot in the past and learned in the comments that it was

 by Colt or Target and was actually used to promote one of the NYC bath houses.

 

"Looking"

This one is not even vintage, but I'm posting it as yet another example of how easy it is to get faked out.  I found it on a website that labeled it as a frame from a film documentary on gay bath houses, spas, and saunas.  It's actually from the HBO gay themed dramedy series "Looking."

At least I figured it out on my own.  Google Images search is my friend.

 

Hollywood Spa

The Hollywood Spa in LA rivaled the Continental when it came to elaborate facilities.

And yes, they actually had all the stuff in this poster and more.

 

Odd plumbing

I've never seen a shower head like that, and the area looks cramped for a bath house.

The scene, however, is pure bath house porn intro.

 

 

Los Angeles

The Continental in New York wasn't the only bath house with entertainment, and this is supposed to be a review held in one of the LA establishments.  When I first saw it, I immediately thought of a Pat Rocco/SPREE project, and there's no reason it couldn't have been both.  There's even a theatrical poster in the left background the style of which matches some of Mr. Rocco's.

 

Tex in Miami

When I first posted this photo about four years ago, I didn't know it was Tex Murdock.  My source did, however, identify the location as the Miami Club Baths in the late 1970s.  Mr. Murdock was featured in a recent series of his own, and at least one of those photos was from the same shoot.

 

Peter Samuelson

English artist Peter Samuelson was from a family that ran a boarding house frequented by young men of a certain type.  He used the boarders (as well as some local tradesmen) as models for his drawings and paintings.  Most of his drawings are untitled, but have catalog numbers from an art sale.

We start with a reclining young man in item #2232.

 

2249

No. 2249 shows Samuelson's mastery of depicting the male body.

 

Robin and Friend with Trixie

The guy in the green shirt is making goo-goos at the one reading, and Trixie the dog is cute, too.

This scene was from the Samuelson family boarding house.

 

2251

This Samuelson drawing is on the demure side, but I like it.

 

2253

The model for 2253 put on a bit of a strut for Samuelson.

 

G-rated

This is "John the Shoemaker" with a female looking on.

Peter Samuelson's skill is full on here.

 

No. 2230

Item number 2230 is one of my personal favorites by Samuelson.  Maybe it's the shading.

 

Red Pete in the Bath, London 1963

This Peter Samuelson drawing has a title, shown in the heading above.

 

Modified bulldog

We get a modified bulldog in Samuelson's untitled #2259.

 

Untitled 2257

Untitled Peter Samuelson male nude, catalog number 2257.

 

Igout Day

 

Today's photos are all supposed to be by Louis Igout, although I have doubts about one of them.

I've tried to include as many different models as possible to make it interesting.

We start with a handsome model with prodigious bush.

Situp

That little round cushion must have made doing situps for Igout a bit nicer.

 

Fake rock

This fake rock outcropping appears in a number of Igout photos,

including one from a different angle later in today's set.

 

Achilles

Although the model doesn't make a very convincing Achilles,

I think that's what Igout was going for here.

 

Beefy

This beefy guy (and the carpet) doesn't appear in any of my other Igout pictures.

It was either a one-off or incorrect attribution.

 

Classical scene?

I can't make out what these two are doing.

Perhaps it's a scene from the Classics.

 

Bulldog with disc

We get a bulldog view of this guy picking up a disc.

 

Stocky

This stocky guy is my favorite Igout model,

and he looks like he's pulling up his sock.

 

Taxi!

When I posted this one on Ipernity, Mr. Scumbeast wrote "Taxi!" in the comments.

 

More, please

Our final Igout model is a guy of whom I have exactly three photos, all of which 

I believe I have now posted.  If anyone has any more, please let me know.

 

Jockstrap Day

It's jockstrap day, and I'm setting the tone with this anonymous 

commercial art print called Marathon Jockstrap Runners.

 

Unusual type

We start the parade with a strange looking model of jockstrap.

Perhaps Calorman will enlighten us on it.

 

At first glance I thought it was laundry day at some camp, but there are

 only towels on the line.  Our subject is wearing a jock and holding what

 might be the tank top type undershirt that produced those tan lines.

 

Snap

The model's build makes me think of Colt, but I have no idea

 about the actual provenance of this photo.  I just like it a lot.

 

At sea

Here we have a happy sailor and a mat of some sort.

Note the thick waistband on the jockstrap.

 

Mixed odd lot

Half of these boxers are wearing their jockstraps on the outside of their shorts.  

Was there some practical benefit to this, or was it a joke or fashion statement of some sort?

 

Milo Bar Bell Co.

The Milo Bar Bell Company distributed this pamphlet on bodybuilding,

and of course buying their products was a key element of the plan.

 

Looking

Mr. Scumbeast said this guy was looking for his bar 

of soap before heading into the shower room.

 

Grapplers

These two guys ar wrestling in jockstraps at some sort of encampment.

 

Ad

The main thing that's supposed to be vintage about this photo is the jockstrap itself.  It is for sale on eBay for U$119.95 and described as a "vintage 1-inch waistband swimmer model Bike in size Large."  No year was given, leaving me wondering just how "vintage" it actually is.

 

Leftover

Our last photo today is left over from my Fourth of July patriotic tattoo series.  I left it out because I could only barely make out the flags, but I noticed the odd garment he's wearing.  I'm not even sure it's a jockstrap, but it looks like it's in that family of undergarments.

 

Should have been on Wheel of Fortune

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Tex Murdock Day

A little over a month ago I posted a photo of Tex Murdock in a 70s porn star set.  That prompted several requests for a full series on him, and I'm only too happy to oblige.  Although he started modeling in the 70s, his career really hit its stride in the 80s.  On an interesting side note, an early magazine piece quoted him as saying his nickname had nothing to do with geography as he 

had never been south of Connecticut until he started his modeling work.

 

Magazine

I think this is the opening page from a Tex Murdock magazine spread.

 

Biker Tex

This biker themed image is from the same Tex Murdock 

photo shoot as the picture that inspired this series.

 

Sun Power

"Sun Power" was the title with this photo,

but Mr. Murdock looks like he's in the shower.

 

Centerfold Material

If this picture of Mr. Murdock wasn't used as a centerfold, it should have been.

 

G-rated

Even when not fully nude. Tex Murdock manages to look pretty fine.

This shot of him grooming a horse is a personal favorite.

 

Off the top of his head

I know that the top of Mr. Murdock's head is not the center of attraction here,

but I can't for the life of me figure out why someone cropped it this way.

 

"All Muscle"

My source says this is from a publication called "All Muscle."

Tex Murdock looks good even without facial hair.