2 guys at the beach

John Grimek photos

Sold recently on eBay for a whopping $480, this early photo of body-building legend John Grimek dates from around 1935 (based on the Strength and Health magazine cover photo) when he was in his mid-20s.

It inspired me to go on a search of more early Grimek photos and here are the best images I found.

Muscles Magazine: Dick DuBois

The magnificent Dick DuBois. He's always been a favorite of mine, [he gets extra points for a name that's a pun in two languages].

This photo, credited to Athletic Model Guild, appears on the back cover of the October/November 1961 issue of Muscles magazine.

While there are lots of familiar faces and bodies, this Brussels-based magazine has it's own stable of physique photographers including Europhoto, Ferrero, Photos Stan, and Photo Swede.

We have a handful of Muscles available at Homobilia.com, along with the great French magazines La Culture Physique and Sciences Culturistes.

Two Affection Men Swimming

Great photo from the 1930s on eBay. A little over 2 inches square but packed with acres of affection, or is that lust? And I don't see any bathing suit.

Von Gloeden photo on eBay

Luca, one of our collector friends in Italy has just posted a wonderful Von Gloeden photograph on eBay, Male Nudes Next to a Column (1900-1930).

If you're interested in Von Gloeden definitely take a look.

Although the listing itself is in Italian, be assured that Luca is a reputable seller. It comes from a private collection that he bought from a French library, with the catalog attached.

The auction ends June 24th.

Men Showering Together

A great photo, sold yesterday on eBay for a hefty $620. Pretty good price for an anonymous 8" x 10" photo with damage from a paper clip near the top.

The appeal is obvious... a bunch of naked guys showering together.

They all turn their backsides to the camera. Nice butts. Skin glistening. Soap dropping... well one can imagine.

But there's something very strange going on when you look a little more closely. Is it a double exposure? An elaborate Photoshop trick?

The guys in the foreground don't seem to be part of the same image. They look like they've been superimposed or layered on top.

The man on the right who is either taking off or putting on his underwear has a semi-transparent shoulder. The guys on the left... what the hell are they doing, just watching? Doesn't that seem a little, uh, gay?

And what's going on in the room itself? It doesn't look like a barracks, or a gym, or a bath house. Shower heads dangle from the lofty ceiling where a couple loose boards might come crashing down at any second. The whole steamy scene is artfully illuminated. You can almost hear the water dripping.

This photo raises a lot of questions and provides few, if any answers. Maybe that's why it was such a hot item. Or maybe just any old photo of a bunch of naked guys showering together sells for 600 bucks these days. I dunno, but will keep my eyes open.