art history

David Leddick, who has given us many books on the naked male, had a brilliant idea for this one: he would put together a book of photographs of nude models from 1935 to 1955 and include recent photographs of the men as close to the time of publication of this book (1997) as possible. The result is a stunning success. There is a foreward by Quentin Crisp, a male model, himself, for art classes in England in the 1930's (THE NAKED CIVIL SERVANT) and a long, sometimes wordy introduction by Mr. Leddick. Of more interest, at least to me, is the biographical information about each of the models, their occupations, whether they married or not, what they are doing now and if they are alive--most of them were at the time Mr. Leddick began his research.

Many of the photographs are by George Platt Lynes, who apparently never took a bad picture and to whom every subsequent photographer of the nude male owes a tremendous debt. No photographer since Lynes has lit the human body with such skill and beauty.

There are unknown models here but some big names as well: Tennessee Williams, the very straight but most unshy Yul Brynner, Donald Windham, Christopher Isherwood, the famous artist Paul Cadmus, the photographer Horst as well as George Platt Lynes, himself.

Two of my favorite photographs: that of Umberto Visbal, a darkroom and studio assistant for Lynes in the early 1950's-- outrageously sexual (p. 127), and Carlos McLendon (p. 87) shot in September 1947; here we have a photograph beautifully composed and printed with many shades of gray.

My favorite quote from the written material: Bill Harris (pp. 94-95) saying that he never frequented a bathhouse again after hearing someone say: "See that little old Chinese woman over there? That used to be the handsomest man in New York." The writer Camus may have been correct when he said that after the age of 40, we are all responsible for our own faces. He could have included our bodies as well.

When David Leddick first published NAKED MEN: PIONEERING MALE NUDES 1935 - 1955 in the year 1997, many readers voiced the opinion that other photographers' books admiring the beauty of the masculine physique were far superior, more provocative, more erotic, and so forth. What is becoming more evident now six years later is just how sensitive Leddick's writing is and how insightful this study remains. His premise - to address artists who either photographed, painted or drew the male nude in a period of time when the male nude as subject was verboten - reveals a brave period of history in gender studies. Leddick shares many images of young men and pairs those images with current (at the time of his writing) views of those pictured models. This could be a gimick if it stopped there, but Leddick has the sensitivity to focus on truly significant artists, allowing us insights not avialable elsewhere in the literature. A long portion is devoted, naturally, to George Platt Lynes who more than most photographers devoted his camera to captruing the 'compleat' persona of artists such as Jared French, Christopher Isherwood, Yul Brynner and well established studio models. What he shows us are the photographs taken from 1935 - 1955 and then shares photographs of those models today. He also visits Lincoln Kirsten, Paul Cadmus, Lew Christensen, and Tennessee Williams and has many interesting anecdotes which he shares in well written prose. This is not a book of homoerotica (though the models both young and old are beautifully captured). This is a vital volume of history that makes as interesting a treat for the mind as it does for the eye. Especially recommended for the collector who has Leddick's later books - this preludes the spectrum of what is to come.

This book is not for those searching out eye-candy. While the pictures are beautifully photographed examples of the male body, it is not a pornographic work. It is a study of the attitudes and intentions behind the models and photographers on display. It is about the movement they inspired that has gotten terribly out of control with the various perversions of extremist pornographers that tout the word 'art' as if it could be applied to ever speck of waste upon every piece of toilet paper. This work does not agree with such a mentality. The pictures are tasteful and sincere. It is for those interested in art history, not a quick thrill.