Estonian Photos - Part 51

Estonian Photos

We continue our series of photos from the Tartu Ülikooli museum of anthropology in Estonia.

I am presenting the photos in reverse chronological order; that is, each new post has photos earlier in the sequence.  Most of the later photos show a front view, rear view, and side view of two men.  At this earlier point in the sequence, they were only photographing a front view and a side view of a single man.

For those who haven't seen my previous posts in this series, a few words of explanation.  The museum provides no information about the men, other than the photos came from the Institute of Anatomy at the University of Tartu.  In particular, it does not say who these men are, or when or why the photos were taken.  However, the photos are labeled "Füüsilise antropoloogia pildistus" (physical anthropology photography).

Who are these men?  My best guess is that they are military recruits.  The very short haircuts suggest that these photos were taken during or shortly after the enlistment process.

When were the photos taken?  My best guess is between World War I and World War II, when Estonia was an independent country with its own military.  Before WWI, Estonia was part of the Russian Empire, and after WWII, Estonia was part of the Soviet Union until 1991.

A clue to the time frame is that these photographs were made on glass plates, not film. 

Dry glass-plate photography started in 1871 and began to fall out of use in the 1920s.  I found some references to it in Estonia through the 1930s.

One other clue to the time frame of these photos is that in two previous batches, one of the men is wearing a wristwatch.   Wristwatches were considered to be for ladies before World War I.  (Men used pocket watches.)  However, during the war, wristwatches proved very useful for soldiers and pilots.  After WWI, wristwatches came into fashion for men.

Although wristwatches were evidently rare in Estonia (only two men wore a wristwatch among the hundreds that were photographed), it suggests that these photos are post-World War I.

Since the use of glass plates fell out of use in the 1920s, I think the photos were most likely taken shortly after World War I.

Some of the men in this series have darker faces and hands.  Are they tanned from working outside like farmers, or are they dirty from some dirty occupation?  We don't know.

Although these appear to be military recruits, these are probably not military photos.  We know that the museum that currently has the photos got them from the Institute of Anatomy at the University of Tartu.  If these are military photos, why would they end up at the Institute of Anatomy?

I believe the photos were taken by academics doing a study of physical anthropology.

Scientists at the Institute of Anatomy were trying to measure what they considered racial characteristics of the population by measuring the body, including phrenology (measuring the skull), ideas which are now discredited.

I think that the scientists at the Institute of Anatomy may have persuaded the military to let them take photographs of the naked new recruits for "research" purposes. 

I have no written evidence to support this idea, but since the photos were at the Institute of Anatomy, and the photo subjects appear to be military recruits, it's now my best guess as to what happened.

Later photos in this series each contain a pair of men.  A question that perennially arose: why were the men photographed in pairs?  Was it to save film?

The answer is that these photos were made on glass plates, not film, but glass plates were more expensive and involved more labor than film, so yes, it's likely that the men were photographed in pairs to save on glass plates.

But these earlier photos are of individual men.  The idea of photographing the men in pairs to save on glass plates must have occurred to someone later in the project, after these photos were taken.

Subject 153 is unique.  He certainly does not look like a military recruit.  He's too old, he has a beard, and he's the only one who is obese.

If the others are military recruits, is 153 attached to the military unit in another capacity?  Or is he attached to the photography unit that is producing these photographs?  We don't know, but he provides an interesting contrast.

Back to our young, in-shape subjects.

Bottom line: My best guess is that these photos were taken after World War I, the subjects are new or recent Army recruits, and the Estonian military allowed scientists from the Institute of Anatomy to take photos of the naked recruits for a study of physical anthropology.

Not the Same Old Song - Part 82

Winter Wonderland

Those who have been sweltering through record heat might appreciate a change of subject. Winter Wonderland was written in 1934, but we will hear Bing Crosby's 1962 version, accompanied by some winter wonderland photos and gifs.

Left Handers Day 2026

Left Handers Day

August 13 is Left Handers Day.  To celebrate, we'll show some lefties today, starting with this gif made from Muybridge Plate 343, a photo sequence called Nude Man Striking a Blow with Left Hand, published in Eadweard Muybridge's 1887 book Animal Locomotion.

About 10% of the population is naturally left handed.  I have always thought that fact provides an excellent argument to use against people who think sexual orientation is a choice.

Of course, science tells us that sexual orientation is not a choice.  The religious right does not believe that, since they have been brainwashed and do not believe science.

But for people who aren't religious fanatics, here's my argument:

People do not choose to be left handed.  They just are, and 10% of the population turn out that way.  It's not a matter of choice.

Likewise, people do not choose to be gay.  They just are, and perhaps 5% of the population turn out that way.

Forcing young gay people to go to "conversion" workshops to convert them to be straight makes as much sense as forcing left-handed people to go to workshops to convert them to be right-handed.

Yes, left-handed people could be forced to use their right hand, though for things like signing their name, the results might not be pretty.  Why not let natural lefties be lefties?

And why not let people who are naturally gay be gay?

Vintage Military - Part 105

Australians in Vietnam

The Vietnam War was fought by the U.S. and its allies against the invasion of South Vietnam by North Vietnam and its allies Russia and China from about 1964 to 1973.

One of the U.S. allies was Australia.  In this post, we see some soldiers from 9 RAR (9th Battlion, Royal Australian Regiment). bathing in a stream in Vietnam.

The Australians sent a total of about 60,000 troops to fight in Vietnam, compared to 3.1 million American troops who served in Vietnam, but we seem to have more photos of naked Australians in Vietnam than naked Americans.

Another photo of the 9 RAR men bathing.  

And another.  These photos were taken in Bien Hoa province on Oct. 31, 1969.

We end with one of the men putting on his boots while still in the stream, perhaps to avoid getting mud all over his feet.

Australia pulled out of Vietnam in 1971, and all U.S. troops were withdrawn in 1973, after which North Vietnam took over South Vietnam and all of Vietnam became communist.  So, from the U.S. viewpoint, the entire Vietnam War was a failure and a waste.  The cost of this wasted war was 58,000 American troops killed and an estimated 970,000 to 3 million Vietnamese soldiers and civilians killed on both sides.

Bodybuilders - Part 42

John Grimek

John Grimek (1910-1998) was a classic American bodybuilder.  He won the Mr. America contest in 1940 and 1941, and the Mr. Universe contest in 1948.  Above, posing after winning Mr. Universe.

In almost all of his photos, he is wearing shorts or at least a posing pouch, like the photo above.

In this photo c. 1934, the string around his waist indicates he's wearing a pouch.

But there are a couple of nude photos out there.  This photo, c. 1928, appears to give us the slimmest side view of the goods.

And this photo would have shown a nice rear view, but Grimek signed it, which no doubt increased the value of the photo, but it spoiled the view.

Luckily, Vintage Muscle Men provided an unsigned copy of the photo.  Thanks, Jerry!

Olympics - Part 24

 Joe Thornton & Brent Burns

Joe Thornton (at left), is a Canadian hockey player born in 1979.  He played for Canada in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin and the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, at which the Canadian hockey team won gold.

ESPN featured him and Brent Burns (at right), another Canadian hockey player, born in 1985, in their 2017 Body Issue.  Burns did not play in the Olympics.

Here they are again, but how did their beards get so long?

Groomers from ESPN brushed over 70 feet of synthetic hair in six different colors to make the fake beards for the Thornton and Burns photo shoot.

And this was the result.

Here's a nice rear view without the fake beards.  Burns is on the left and Thornton on the right.

And a bit of horseplay ensued.

Performers - Part 90

Paul Robeson

Paul Robeson (1898-1976) was an athlete, actor, singer and political rights activist in the first half of the 20th century.  In 1915 he won a scholarship to Rutgers University, the third black student to ever attend Rutgers.  He played on the Rutgers football team (above) and was named All American in 1917 and 1918.

He then went on to law school at Columbia, playing professional football while earning his law degree.  After graduation, he became an actor in the Harlem Renaissance movement, performing in Eugene O'Neill's The Emperor Jones and All God's Chillun Got Wings.

While all this was going on, he found time to pose for Nikolas Muray in 1926 for a series of photos called Nude Studies.  Robeson had no problem showing off his athletic body.

Another from Nude Studies.

And another.

In 1925 he posed for a statue by Antonio Salemme called Negro Spiritual.  This is a plaster cast of the statue.  The original was shipped to France to be cast in bronze but was destroyed in World War II.

In 1936 he sang "Ol' Man River" in the movie Show Boat, in which he starred, above.

His liberal political activism led to persecution in the McCarthy era after World War II.  Today he is honored for his views on civil rights as well as his artistic accomplishments.