Legacy Men

Showcasing the beauty of men from the mid- to late 20th Century (and sometimes earlier). Nudes often posted, but never any hardcore images. All nude models are assumed to be of men 18 or older. All images posted have been found freely on the internet; I claim ownership of none, except for my logo and avatar. For more modern-day pics, please visit my other blog Spermin' Herman.

[legacymen]

Spotlight on...Dave Martin (36 of 40)

Greg Bradford (2 of 2).

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Spotlight on...Dave Martin (34 of 40)

Bill Woodruff.

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Spotlight on...Dave Martin (24 of 40)

Justin Delaney.

[legacymen]

Spotlight on...Dave Martin (21 of 40)

Chuck Miller, 1953 (2 of 3).

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Spotlight on...Dave Martin (23 of 40)

Dennis Flynn.

[legacymen]

Spotlight on...Dave Martin (20 of 40)

Chuck Miller, 1953 (1 of 3).

[legacymen]

Spotlight on...Dave Martin (19 of 40)

Gene Stanley, 1953 (3 of 3).

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Spotlight on...Dave Martin (18 of 40)

Gene Stanley, 1953 (2 of 3).

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Spotlight on...Dave Martin (17 of 40)

Gene Stanley, 1953 (1 of 3).

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Spotlight on...Dave Martin (5 of 40)

Bud Counts, 1955 (2 of 3).

[legacymen]

Spotlight on...Dave Martin (6 of 40)

Bud Counts, 1955 (3 of 3).

[legacymen]

Spotlight on...Dave Martin (3 of 40)

Brad Payne, aka Bob Mucci, 1953 (2 of 2).

[legacymen]

Spotlight on...Dave Martin (4 of 40)

Bud Counts, 1955 (1 of 3).

[legacymen]

Spotlight on...Dave Martin (1 of 40) B. 1922; d. ? Beefcake photographer based in San Francisco, opening on Sacramento Street the city's first studio specializing in male nude photography, active from 1951 until 1974. His models consisted mainly of bodybuilders, college athletes (especially from Stanford University), military men, and occasionally law enforcement, many of whom posed simply for money. "The work was listed as a commercial job under 'employment'," he said in a 2006 interview. "They responded to the job postings. In the early fifties, it was five dollars an hour, a considerable sum." While it is evident he produced photos of muscular men for a male audience, Martin played coy when asked by one interviewer if he was gay, and refused to consider his work gay erotica. "I resent people putting that label on my work, 'gay'. It turns me off to hear that kind of term. I photographed straight men. I found them just as easy to work with. I never cared for gay people as models. I think gays come across as being gay. I don't have anything against that. I just wanted a masculine image."

Martin was also one of few physique photographers to shoot pictures of African-American men at a time when there was little to no market for the images. "It certainly wasn’t for the money. The pictures didn’t sell — no one wanted them. I wouldn’t even list them in catalogs. I took them to please myself, for the sheer beauty of the male body. These beautiful black amateur athletic bodies.”

Above: Unnamed model, c. 1950s; (inset) photographer Dave Martin.

(Dave Martin photo and biographical and interview outtakes via American Photography of the Male Nude 1940 - 1970: Volume III Dave Martin [Janssen Press, 2001], The Bay Area Reporter and The Unofficial Stanford Blog).

[legacymen]

Spotlight on...Dave Martin (2 of 40)

Brad Payne, aka Bob Mucci, 1953 (1 of 2).

For me, one of the best things about collecting Martin's images is occasionally running into a photo with archival information (the model's name, the year the photo was taken, and the model's occupation and/or hobbies) listed on a small bit of paper overlaying the actual picture. I've included these as part of the series wherever possible.

[myselfixion]

[legacymen]

I would have fallen for the guy on the left sooooooooooo hard...!

[dionnewarlock]