It's been too long since I did a series featuring larger groups of men, so let's
get started with the most crowded item in my Wyngate & Bevins collection.
Sunday, March 8, 2026
Germans
Take a close look and enlarge this one if you can. You'll see some
interesting details among these late 19th Century beach goers.
1910
I initially thought these beefy fellows were some of Prof. Desbonnet's students,
but they turned out to be the Cercle Athletique de Montmartre weightlifting
troupe as photographed by Maurice-Louis Branger in 1910.
Mulltiple Bums
There's always that one guy. This unknown group of men are showing off their shapely bottoms,
but the guy second from far right has turned to show us his face and a hint of something else.
Pageant
The Mr. Nude USA pageant was held at the Treehouse Fun Ranch near San Bernadino
in 1980. They got a three page foldout in Playgirl, and the winner is below.
Vancouver, 1913
Here we see the Vancouver, British Columbia YMCA wrestling club in 1913.
I shudder to think how many of these beautiful men were lost in the Great War.
New Guinea, 1919
A Royal Geographic Society photographer took this photo in Papua New Guinea in 1919.
The story attached to it was unfairly used to brand these men and others as "cannibals"
when human flesh consumption was limited to funerary rituals that weren't even always
practiced. It was decades before attempts were made to correct the exaggerations.
Locker Room
This is a scene from The Strawberry Statement, a 1970 film loosely
based on the 1968 Columbia University student demonstrations.
Military
Our last large group is said to have been an interwar
Baltic State military formation out for a swim.
Saturday, March 7, 2026
Tony Stevens
Tony Stevens appears in a multiple exposure image.
Jack Mitchell did several of these in 1973-74.
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Brahm
I posted another two photo post of Brahm, sometimes spelled Braham,
hoping someone knew his full name. No luck, so I'm trying again.
Flora
Mr. Mitchell did at least half a dozen photos using this model with a leaf and flower motif.
I've never seen them all together, but I have to wonder if they weren't meant to be seen as a set.
Outlier
No this isn't a reprise of my recent John Barrington series. A reputable online auction
house found this in a private estate collection labeled as by Jack Mitchell.
If it's his, it's a rare outlier to his usual precise editing process.
1965
I think this is the oldest item in my Jack Mitchell collection.
The untitled work is dated 1965.
Cal Culver
Ending the Jack Mitchell series with Cal Culver, aka Casey Donovan. I have to admit
to being bored with this model. Not only does he appear in Mr. Mitchell's portfolio about
two dozen times, but he had a separate career as a porn star in film and magazines.
Having said that, there's a reason he was so popular in so many venues.
Friday, March 6, 2026
Golden Gate Bridge Day, Part 1 - Dave Martin's Nudes
We'll be looking at quite a few photos made at the Golden Gate Bridge today, and it will
be a marathon three parter. Part one starts us with the work of Dave Martin, the classic
era physique photographer most associated with the iconic location.
Paul Dixon I
Although he is often erroneously described as a college swimmer, Paul Dixon was a sheet metal
worker who enjoyed diving, water polo, and competitive swimming. There's another photo
with an expanded note from Dave Martin that goes into more detail than this one.
Roy Lang I
This handsome fellow is Roy Lang, a former minor league baseball player
who was about 38 years of age when this photo was taken.
Paul Dixon II
Dave Martin cleverly posed Paul Dixon here on a broken
concrete wall that looks like the bow of a ship.
Roy Lang II
The boulders, the man, the sand, and the bridge combine
for near perfection in our second Roy Lang photo.
And then there's that knowing smile.
Dick Woodward
I can't imagine Dave Martin taking a model as good as Dick Martin to the Golden Gate Bridge
and only taking one photo with the structure in it. That seems to be the case,
however, as I have looked and looked for more with no success.
Paul Dixon III
Paul Dixon looks every bit as well built as the bridge
in his third appearance in this set.
Roy Lang III
We get just a snippet view of the bridge in the third Roy Lang
photo of the set and the last image of Part One.
Golden Gate Day, Part 2 - Three G-Rated Pictures
Part 2 is short, but I had to include my three favorite G-rated Golden Gate photos. We start with this handsome fellow whose photographer is unknown, at least everywhere I've been able to look.
If I had to guess, I'd say Dave Martin despite the fact the he did relatively few non-nudes.
Golden Gate Day, Part 3 - More Nudes
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Part three of today's series is another round of nudes, including three of Bob Delmonteque.
There are mixed opinions as to whether those three are by Dave Martin or by Mr. Delmonteque
himself, as he was a competent photographer who could have easily used a timer. On the
other hand, the locale and style make us instantly think of Mr. Martin.
Denny Denfield I
I can't believe that Denny Denfield, being based in San Francisco, only took two photos
at the Golden Gate Bridge. That is all, however, that I have been able
to find over the years. This one is of Ed Siemens.
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Denny Denfield II
When I first ran this Denny Denfield photo almost seven years ago,
no one knew the model's name. Anybody know now?
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