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Friday, July 25, 2025

Richer's Professional Models, Part 1 - Known Quantities


I recently had to good fortune to find some "new" photos by Paul Richer in a French institution's archive.  One group of those were labeled as professional models, some of whom were named.  So today will be a two parter, starting with known models and moving on the unknow.  First up is Raphael Colletti, whose beard and hair style made his face look square.

 

Francois Bianchi


Here we see Francois Bianchi in on of those "playing the castanets" poses.

 

Alexandre Valentin


Alexandre Valentin looks quite well proportioned from behind.

 

Adolphe Giraudon


This is Adolphe Giraudon in a classic pose with a staff.

 

Alonzo


Our final entry in the Richer known model category is a guy who went just
by Alonzo and was having a bad hair day when this photo was taken.

 

Richer's Professional Models, Part 2 - Unknowns


My source only had names for a bit less than half of Paul Richer's professional model portfolio, and given that they are a well regarded institution, that'l likely because Richer didn't record them.  We begin Part Two with a man who not only posed nude for other photographers, but also has appeared here as the subject of several academic drawings.  Surely someone knows his name.

 

Muscular rear


The muscles stand out nicely in this rear view of an unknown.

 

Familiar?


I wish we had a better look at this model's face because 
I think he may have posed for at least one important painter.

 

Forlorn Gaze


We get a somewhat forlorn skyward gaze from this model.
Sandow used the same pose, only with a fig leaf.



 

Dramatic Pose


Our last unknown Paul Richer model looks as though he might have been both an athlete and a model.  Such was not unheard of, and the dramatic pose really shows his muscles.

 

Thursday, July 24, 2025

Bryan B's Arax Photos


Today I will be posting ten photos by Arax of Paris generously sent to me by viewer Bryan B.
Most of today's models are unknown, despite multiple searches.  More on that later. 
We start with an unknown model in a pose that is a pure Arax classic.
Thank you, Bryan!

 

Jean Millet I

I've posted several other photos of Jean Millet in the past, and Bryan's contribution 
included this and one other "new" picture that will appear later today.   


 

Fending off


The model in this one seems to be fending off an attacker.

 

Castanet photo


This is another example of what I call the "playing the castanets pose."
They generally seem to do it standing up, however.

 

Posing strap


Here is an example of what feels like creeping censorship on the Google Images search function.  
This benign posing strap photo produced the "This search can't be processed due to content 
guidelines" notice.  The same thing has been showing up on derriere shots and even photos 
of men in trunks.  I don't know if Google has gone prudish since they made a deal with 
the devil Trump, or if their AI scanners are so shoddy they can't tell the difference.  
Either way, I hope I don't find myself looking for a new blogging platform soon. 
Meanwhile, I'd really like to see more of this model.

Jean Millet II


As promised, here is another picture of Jean Millet, with a staff this time.
 

Honore


I came up with a single name, Honore, for this model.

 

Modified Thinker


This unknown model gives us a different take on Rodin's The Thinker.

 

Pierre Fallais

I was able to identify this dramatically posed model as Pierre Fallais.

 

Almost had a name


I thought I had found a name for our final Arax model, but it 
turned out to be another guy in exactly the same pose.  
Again, many thanks to Bryan B for today's images.

 

Wednesday, July 23, 2025

Roy Blakey


I sometimes refer to Roy Blakey (1930-2024) as "the other photographer named Roy," but that doesn't really give him credit for his amazing talent.  He took up photography after a career as a skater for Holiday on Ice, and he did some amazing work.  Today we look at ten more of his photos.

 

George Payne


Roy Blakey took some memorable photos of George Payne,
and this one appeared in Mandate.

 

Tim Scott


I find this photo of Tim Scott to be artistic.

 

Come hither


We get a come hither look from this borderline twink.

 

Over the shoulder


I love the over the shoulder look from this blond model.

 

Dancers?


Roy Blakey was well known for his photographs of dancers, 
and I suspect this is one, although my source did not say.

 

'Fro


This model has a classic 70s Afro hairstyle.



 

Light


The garish glare of the light put me off this photo for a moment,
but the more I look at it, the more I like it.  The model is unknown to me.

 

One of them is Tim Scott


One of these men is Tim Scott, but I have no idea which.

 

Mike August


We get a modified statuesque look in this shot of Mike August.

 

And now for something completely different . . .


I'm ending our Roy Blakey set with something I discovered while putting together a recent
 series on Honcho magazine.  Imagine my surprise, but then it was done for Honcho.