Swimmers Day

Today we will look at some men out for a swim, starting with a 1911 bicycle club 

that took a break from cycling to go skinny dipping around a log jam.

 

Floating Bath House

A floating bath house in Stockholm was the setting for this picture.

It was actually for swimming rather than taking a bath.

 

Austrians

These three were part of the 1920 Austrian water polo team.

 

Italians

All my source said about these guy was that they were Italian.

 

Demure

This group of men on a swimming outing are demurely posed,

but I find them to be quite attractive anyway.

 

This is supposed to be from Keith Vaughan's private album

of photos made at the Highgate Men's Pond.

 

Team

I have no information on this one, but it looks like a water polo team.

They seem too heavy and hairy for speed swimmers.

 

Mud fun

I'm thinking these guys have to be Germans.  Interwar Germans 

had a thing about playing naked in the mud.

 

Some bare, some not

Here we have a pool scene where some of the men are wearing suits, and some are not.

 

Falling Water

I saved my favorite of the day for last.  Although it is probably just a snapshot,

I find the photography and the waterfall setting to be excellent.

 

Mike Arlen Day

Thanks to an anonymous comment, I recently discovered British photographer Mike Arlen.

He was a fashion photographer who took up male nude photography in the late 70s after he did a men's swimwear photo shoot and a friend suggested he do nudes.  Mr. Arlen passed away in 2022, but left a legacy as perhaps the most prolific British photographer of male nudes ever.  He also produced several publications of his own, as below.  So enjoy Mike Arlen Day.

 

Sailor

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Bunk

And here he is again.

 

Commemorative

I'm not sure, but I think this is from a commemorative piece

as opposed to an actual Mike Arlen publication.

 

Crowd

At least two of these guys are hamming it up for the camera.

 

Pistol Packer

Although I could do without the gun, I still like this duo shot.

 

Brian Jason

Brian Jason (sounds like a made up name to me) 

got Body of the Month and a centerfold.

 

Artsy

This is an example of some of Mr. Arlen's more artistic efforts.

 

Glenn Milbank

Yet another example of Mike Arlen's penchant for large members

shows up in this photo of Glenn Milbank.

 

Trevor Lewis

Ending the Mike Arlen set with Trevor Lewis and his jockstrap.

 

In the Beginning . . .

Today we go back to some of the earliest physique photographers.  Al Urban, Edwin Townsend, and Alonzo Hanagan, aka Lon of New York, all began their careers in New York before World War II.  Earle Forbes is also in this category, but having recently done a full set of his work, I will focus on the three first mentioned artists.  We start with Henry Karczewski by Al Urban.

 

Unknown Townsend I

Edwin Townsend was best known for his many amazing photos of Tony Sansone.  My usually impeccable source says this is an unknown, but I do see a resemblance to Mr. Sansone.

 

Everett Sinderhoff

I've seen this photo of Everett Sinderhoff attributed to both Lon of New York and Al Urban.

The use of the column behind Mr. Sinderhoff makes me think it was Lon.

 

Charles Whitlock

A reclining Charles Whitlock posed with a cigarette for Al Urban.

 

Leon Nole

Leon Nole autographed this 1930 Edwin Townsend picture 

for his friend and fellow bodybuilder/model Sig Klein.

 

Chick Deutsch

Lon did an artistic photo of Chick Deutsch,

a cover man from Your Physique.

 

Henry Degroot

The pose in this photo of Henry Degroot by Al Urban

reminds me of a Koloman Moser painting.

 

Unknown Townsend II

Here is another unknown (to me, anyway) Edwin Townsend model.

 

Henry Hojel

Lon of New York took this photo of Henry Hojel and a bamboo staff.

 

Unknown by Al Urban

I wish we knew something about this unknown Al Urban model.

 

Raymond Van Cleef

This is Raymond Van Cleef by Edwin Townsend.

 

Don Brown

Our last model from the early days of physique photography is Don Brown by Lon of New York.