Followers

Tuesday, May 5, 2026

Dave Martin


Today we'll take a look a ten of Dave Martin's outdoor photos, none of which are at any of his iconic bayside locations.  (I'm saving those for another series.)  We start with Sam Mayo.

 

Al Emerson


I like the subdued, dappled light in this photo of Al Emerson.

 

Gene Stanley


Mr. Martin posed Gene Stanly looking away for this one.

 

Bob Johnson and Stan Reed

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Merrill Jacobs


Some pine trees make a nice backdrop for Merrill Jacobs.

 

Ed Siemens


Here we have Ed Siemens in the reeds.

 

Zaro Rossi


Zaro Rossi was widely photographed back in the day for obvious reasons.

 

Scott Carpenter

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Dick Jacobs


Dave Martin photographed Dick Jacobs in a brushy area.

 

Walt Montgomery


Ending the set with Walt Montgomery, aka Walt Mince, leaning against a fallen tree.

 

Monday, May 4, 2026

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:
And something more modern:

 

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.

 

Sunday, May 3, 2026

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.