Russ Warner Quarterly Series

We are way overdue for a full Russ Warner series, so let's start with Bud Bapst,

whose name I have also seen spelled Pabst, as in the beer brand.

 

Ray Harper

I recently found this "new" photo of Ray Harper,

a model who has appeared  here in the past.

 

Charles Berendo

Charles Berendo posed for a number of Russ Warner photos,

and this one is a personal favorite.

 

Giroux and Norton

Russ Warner posed Armand Giroux and Joe Norton

back to back against a Classical column.

 

Unknown I

This is the first of two unknown (to me) models in today's series.

 

Irwin Koszewski

We should always remember that Russ Warner started out as a successful competitive bodybuilder before he went on to an even more successful career as a photographer.  These front and back photos of Irwin Koszewski, aka Irwin Zabo, are examples of Mr. Warner's magazine work.  In fact, he is said to have done more bodybuilder magazine covers than anyone else.  If there is interest, I can do a complete set of those covers for a future series.

 

Frank Stagg

Not even Russ Warner escaped the 1950 kitschy trend of fish net props.

The model here is Frank Stagg.

 

Dick Fenley

Although reasonably well developed, Dick Fenley is one 

of the least beefy models in Russ Warners portfolio.

 

Unknown II

Mr. Warner posed our second unknown model behind a very large cogwheel.

 

Norm Tousley

I can't think of a better way to end today's series

than with this fine shot of Norm Tousley.

 

FKK Non-Germans

The FKK movement was a very German proposition, but their publications did occasionally feature photos from similar organizations based in other countries.  Today we look at ten of those, 

                           starting with the Swiss gentleman using a Rhoenrad exercise device.  

 

Spain

Spanish athlete Jose Montero appeared in 1932.

 

USA

Here we have an American reading a nudist newspaper 

while sitting on the tailgate of a station wagon.

 

Canada

This Canadian gardener is from the 1980s.

 

Dane

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Hungarians

It was 1928 when these members of a Budapest fitness club posed together.

 

Austrians

I don't have a date for this Austrian photo, but the man 

at center seems to be holding a 1960s type microphone.

 

British

Our British entry is a guy being pushed into a swimming pool.

 

France

Happy Frenchmen emerge from the water.

 

Netherlands

Finishing the set we have a Dutchman working on a holiday cottage in 1973.

 

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.