Ready, Aim, Play Dead

How this soldier managed to get his uniform off without removing his belt and boots is a mystery. Guess it is one of those things they teach you in boot camp.









Here you can plainly see his big holster. Big holster, big gun.











And here we have the enemy clad only in a black leather jacket and bicycle chains. This is what they teach you in Camp camp.

This unusual set of vintage male nudes is from the early 60s. See more at homobilia.com

Russian Strongman

Very cool photo circa 1909-13, from an album of 63 real photo postcards.

It isn't all that unusual. A male nude, seen from the side/rear. This was a time and place before posing straps were thought necessary.

However, this guy is either on his way to rob a bank or very concerned about protecting his anonymity. Or maybe he's just into some kinky scenes. Love the striped socks too.

Any way you look at it, it's hot.

By the way, the album sold at auction recently for $3,200 plus a 22.5% buyers premium. Good homobilia doesn't come cheap!

Rub-a-Dub

What we have here is the intersection of physique photography, peep show, innocent male bonding and a Navy instructional manual.

It clearly seems authentic... this is no photo studio, the sailors seem real too. But what the hell are they doing and why are they smiling so broadly?

Numaderm provides some answers: "If you have trouble with dry itchy skin, call in the salt brigade. When you finish your bath or shower, spend a few minutes rubbing salt into your skin. The rubbing actually helps improve circulation which is always good but the friction from the salt particles will remove dead skin..."

Apparently it's a lot more fun to have a buddy in your "salt brigade" who can do the rubbing for you. Only one problem with this theory... there's no sign of water anywhere. I guess this is a dry rub.

For those of you wanting to try it at home, Origins sells their "Let's Circulate" salt rub soap for only $13.50 (sailor buddy not included).

The Posing Strap: Vintage Muscle Men Video

Really enjoyed this video tribute to the posing strap. Great vintage photos and the Pet Shop Boys "Go West" soundtrack. Did you know that Bob Mizer's mother made the posing straps for his models? Five minutes of posing strap trivia and fun for the whole family.

This one's pretty cool too, "Sequence #31 in The Masculine Physique Series," looks like 1952. No soundtrack but it's more than a collection of still photos. Two very sexy guys strolling and posing in the dunes.

Vintage photo of a man with a bubble butt. Why?

When I look at this photo of "Ratzy" I imagine nudging his legs apart, kneeling between them and lowering my body on top of his. I want to feel that perfect butt pressed against my groin, the warmth of his skin against mine.

My question is: Why was this picture taken?

It dates from the 1940s, and came from a family photo album that includes guys in the military, lots of horsing around, and the common snapshots of Mother and babies and Cookie the dog. So why then, a photo like this which seems so obviously homoerotic?

Was it meant to be funny? Was the photographer simply oblivious to the male beauty on display? We'll never know.

Whatever the intent, it has found a new, appreciate audience.

Jean Boullet

An illustration from Les Beaux Gars, published in Nice 1951.

Born in 1921, Boullet was part of a circle of openly gay artists. His drawing style is reminiscent of Jean Cocteau-- with a hint of Tom of Finland.

Although he has a wide reputation in France (the Pompidou Center describes him as a "goblin in chains and black leather") there's hardly anything written about him in English.

What do you know about this under-appreciated artist? Please post any info in comments.