Miners Day

While we all know that coal as a fuel is nasty, I have always admired the men who have mined it.  

The work is dirty, dangerous, and unhealthy, but it's a living.  We start with Welsh miners singing Christmas carols far underground in 1943.  If you've never heard a Welsh male choir, you're missing out on one of life's big treats.  I've had the privilege of hearing them in person, and all I can say is that nobody can sing like the Welsh.  The Welsh national anthem is very moving, and here is one of my favorite renditions.  Don't be put off by the rugby logo, it's the right video:

Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau - Land of our Fathers

And something more modern:

Welsh Male Choir Has Judges In TEARS

 

East Germans

These are East German miners from 1978.

 

Muscle man

Gotta love this proud miner showing off his muscle.

 

Dutch

Google Image search says these are mid-20th Century Dutch miners.

 

Another amazing group

I posted a photo similar to this one in a previous miners' series, and it got a bigger viewer response 

than any of the nude pictures I posted that day.  I found those responses touching and an affirmation that my viewers do have some class.  Like the previous one, all the men here have facial hair, 

but two are sporting beards, whereas the others all had mustaches.

 

Hoist

Instead of using lockers, the miners at this facility hoist their clothes and other personal items on cables while at work and lower them for access.  This man has returned from the showers and is drying off in the cavernous changing room before getting into his street clothes.

 

Turks

This undated photo is supposed to show Turkish miners on their way to the showers.

 

Corrugated partitions

While most of us find partitioned shower stalls unfortunate, we do get two good views here despite them.  The corrugated metal makes it look like they were installed by the mine owners 

on the cheap.  I really like the sideburns on the burly guy at right.

 

Hot

One usually thinks of caves and mines as being cool places, but deep mines 

are often hot.  Perhaps as a result, these men have gone shirtless for work.

 

Lofthouse

Our last image of the day is from a photo essay on the Lofthouse Colliery Disaster of 1973.

Seven miners were lost in the incident at the North Yorkshire mine,

and the scene above is presumably from happier times.

 

Wrestling Way Back When, Part 1 - Assorted

It's wrestling day and a two parter, with assorted photos in part one and Georg Hackenschimdt in part two.  We start with two guys going at each other more convincingly than some we will see.

 

Gouging?

I didn't think eye gouging was allowed in wrestling.

 

Muybridge

This is from one of Muybridge's motion studies.

 

Is that a hold?

I think this shot was arranged more for art than to display an actual wrestling hold.

 

C'mon!

The guy at left seems to be saying,  "C'mon, you know you can't take me."

 

Wrestling Way Back When, Part 2 - Georg Hackenschimdt

Part two of today's series features Georg Hackenschmidt, an Estonian strong man and wrestler 

who contended for the world wresting championship in the first decade and a half of the 

20th Century.  Many modern commentators have remarked on his well

 developed glutes, and I've chosen photos that show them off.

 

With Gruhn

This is the first of two photos in part two that feature pages from an instructional booklet for aspiring wrestlers by George Hackenschimdt and Ferdinand Gruhn.  Lots of muscles there!

 

Dark trunks

Although the dark trunks don't help, we still get an impression of those amazing glutes.

 

With Gruhn II

Here's another page from the Hackenschimdt-Gruhn instructional booklet.

 

Rear view repeat

Closing the Hackenschmidt portion of the series with a repeat of a rear view

 I posted over seven years ago.  My, how time flies.

 

Kovert of Hollywood Day

It's Kovert of Hollywood day, and most of the photos I'm posting are recent finds.

We start with David DeBorges, who's typically oiled and posed.

 

Pat Parris

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This photo of Tom Matthews appeared in a publication years after Freddie Kovert's suicide.  I'm not sure about this one, but I have found several instances where Mr. Kovert's work was posthumously 

pirated, i.e. published without credit, permission, or payment, after liberalization.

 

Wally Shillicut

Tha asymmetrical pose works well in this shot of Wally Shillicut.

 

Dale Curry

Dale Curry was in high demand as a model for obvious reasons.

Kovert of Hollywood was one of several studios he worked for.

 

Leonard Chambers

Although Leonard Chambers is perhaps best known for his work with Bob Mizer of AMG, 

he also modeled for other artists, including Kovert of Hollywood.  A tragic figure, his 

killing at the hands of Los Angeles area police was lamented in Physique Pictorial.  

Click his name at the bottom of this post for more information

 

Don Silvas and Andrew Marke

Our only Kover duo of the day is Don Silvas (left) and Andrew Marke.

The stilted posing was quite common in the 1940s,

and the chains add some interest.

 

Tabby Anderson

Here we have Tabby Anderson between two draped stands.

 

Freddie Shields

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Bob Mizer

In case you didn't know, Bob Mizer of AMG was a model for Freddie Kovert before he became 

a photographer himself.  This is one of two nudes I have from that time.

Mr. Mizer was quite good looking, wasn't he?