Vintage Muscle Men

Saturday, September 26, 2026

Karlheinz Weinberger II

Karlheinz Weinberger (1921-2006) was a Swiss warehouse worker who photographed gay men, bikers, and hooligans in his spare time in Zurich. One doesn't think of staid Zurich as much of a place for hooligans, but Mr. Weinberger did several shows on that theme in that city. Having been there twice, I can tell you that they do have a very active and diverse gay scene. Anyway, today we will look at ten more images by this quirky and interesting photographer, beginning with this guy who gives me a Rod Stewart vibe. Must be the hairdo.

Portrait

Although quite good as a portrait photographer, Mr. Weinberger didn't do

too many of them. This is one of my favorites by him of the type.

Wallpaper

I can't decide if the floral wallpaper is a distraction

or a good counterpoint to the model.

Smile

One doesn't see many smiling Weinberger models,

and that makes this one even more special.

Levis

This fellow is popping out of his Levis in a way that will like please many of you.

Bison

Color work by this photographer is rare, so I checked to see if this had been colorized later.

I was pleased to find that it had not, and that the model's name is Oliver Sieber.

More than once

This unnamed model posed several times for Mr. Weinberger.

Poofy Hair

When he wasn't photographing hooligans, bikers, or gays, Karlheinz Weinberger would go to wrestling matches and bodybuilding competitions. This is an example of the latter, and I can't help but wonder if the central figure was chosen for that poofy hair. It does make him stand out.