American muralist Allyn Cox left us dozens of male nude drawings, but only a few of the murals and paintings he produced showed unclothed men. A casual observer might think the nude drawings were academic pieces, but the great majority were studies for his famous murals. He would draw the men nude on paper and then add clothes when he painted the murals. I don't know which of his finished works the drawing above relates to, but I like it..
Vintage Muscle Men
Showcasing vintage male photography, mostly nude. You must be 18 years of age or older to visit this blog! If you hold a copyright on any material shown on this blog, notify me, and it will be removed immediately.
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Friday, September 27, 2024
Andrew Jackson
Allyn Cox did a ceiling mural on the East Central Portico of the U.S. Capitol showing the inauguration of Andrew Jackson. As was his usual practice, he made a nude drawing of his subject before painting the actual piece. I wonder what Old Hickory would have thought of this drawing.
Allyn Cox, Part 2 - Color Works
As promised, part two of our Allyn Cox series features works in color. An online resale site dated this pastel drawing as 1950s, and it recently sold for $2200. That seems low, but I'm no expert.
Diana and Actaeon
This is a detail from the Allyn Cox mural Diana and Actaeon,
a three panel work at the Dumbarton Oaks Estate in Washington, D.C.
Sylvan Deity
I wish I had a date for this Allyn Cox oil on canvas painting called Sylvan Deity.
For some reason it makes me think of Maxfield Parrish.
Contemplation 1934
I'm ending the Allyn Cox two-parter with my favorite of the day, Contemplation from 1934.
The color, the pose, and the model are all simply beautiful.
Thursday, September 26, 2024
Denny Denfield Day
I try to get a full series on for all my favorite classic era physique photographers at least quarterly. Today it's Denny Denfield's turn starting with Tom Mathews with a disc in the desert.
Johnnie Holden
A sadistic junior high gym teacher made us run laps around the basketball court in a position
similar to that of Johnnie Holden in this picture. He called it the crab walk.
Mr. Holden looks better than any of us ever dreamed of looking.
John Winship
Although some collectors list this photo of John Winship as unattributed,I have recently
come across some believable documentation that it is by Denny Denfield.
Gene Meyer
The back muscles stand out in this Denny Denfield photo of Eugene Meyer. At first glance,
I didn't think this looked like Mr. Meyer, but I double checked and the source is impeccable.
Harpo
The last Denny Denfield photo shows the model known only as Harpo on a memorable photo
shoot in Giant Sequoia country. I posted a color shot from it in the previous Denfield series.
Wednesday, September 25, 2024
Ken Haak Day
As promised when I posted a photo by Ken Haak in a series on the year 1985 three weeks ago, we get a full set today. Mr. Haak (1923-1991) was a World War II veteran who became well known fashion photographer after attending art school on the GI Bill. He only sporadically did male nudes in the 1960s and 70s, but really hit his stride with it in a frenetic burst of energy between 1983 and 1985. Most of these works feature dusky lighting, but the photo above from a group of pictures he made for After Dark is an exception. We'll see another from that shoot later today.
Seeing double
Although I'm not sure just what the point was, we get two different presentations of what I'm pretty sure is the exact same image. This can be done in the developing process . . . or through digital manipulation.
Tan lines
Despite the subdued lighting which seems to be a sort of trademark for Ken Haak's male nudes,
we see tan lines. The model may be the same one featured in my recent 1985 post.
Steve McQueen
I found this publicity still from the 1968 movie Bullitt for sale on a vintage website and listed as by Ken Haak. Mr. Haak was well known as a fashion photographer, but I was not aware that he had done any movie related work. As was often the case at the time, the movie was in color, but the still was in black and white for easier newspaper publication. The picture is all over the internet, but no other source says it is by Ken haak. Can any one confirm the provenance?
Lynes-like
Our final photo by Ken Haak leaves me thinking of George Platt Lynes,
althought Mr. Lynes would have used sharper focus and contrast.
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