Vintage Military - Part 84

Soviet Military Recruits

Today we look at some photos of Soviet army recruits.  Above, a medical board looks on as recruits are examined.

Another army medical board.  Despite the date 1910 written on the photo, the portrait of Stalin in the background tells us that this photo must date from the Stalinist era, 1924-1953.

Another military board with a huge portrait of Stalin in the background.

Another military board.  These photos are said to be from the 1930s.

And another military board.

This photo is dated 1931, which is presumably correct.

The same board as in the last photo, so this would also be from 1931.

We end with this undated photo of recruits lined up for their exam.

Olympic Photos by Paul Richer - Part 11

Olympic Photos by Paul Richer, part 11

We continue our series of nude photographs by Paul Richer of athletes in the 1900 Paris Olympics.  Richer was on an official Olympic commission to study the athletes.  Richer was responsible for taking nude anthropomorphic photos of the athletes, and since it was an official commission, almost all the athletes who were asked to participate did so.

We start with Italian cyclist Giuseppe Singrossi, above.

Here are Paul Richer's photos of Giuseppe Singrossi, front view ...

side view ...

and rear view.

Disclosure: I have removed yellowing from Richer's photos and brightened them.

This is Swedish athlete Gustaf Söderström.  He competed in shot put and discus throw, and he was on the Swedish tug-of-war team that won a gold medal.

Here are Richer's photos of Söderström, front view ...

side view ...

and rear view.

Swedish athlete Karl Gustaf Staaf, shown standing at left above, competed in multiple sports: pole vault, triple jump, discus throw, and hammer throw, and he was on the Swedish tug-of-war team that won a gold medal.

Here are Richer's photos of Staaf, front view ...

side view ...

and rear view.

I could not find any photos of Italian runner Francesco Stobbione aside from Richer's nude photos, so I have substituted a photo of other runners in the 1500 meter race in the Paris Olympics, in which Stobbione competed.

Here are Richer's photos of Stobbione, front view ... 

side view ...

and rear view.

Next time: more Paul Richer Olympic athlete photos.

Performers - Part 79

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Winter Solstice 2025

 Winter Solstice

Today is the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere – the shortest day of the year.  The guy above in East England thinks that's something to celebrate.

As does this guy celebrating the winter solstice in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Today is also the summer solstice (the longest day) in the Southern Hemisphere.  Above, celebrating the summer solstice by skinny dipping in Perth, Australia.

We end with this artwork by Mark DeBauch called "Flying Grasshopper – Solstice."  Given the snow and ice, it must be the winter solstice.

Photographers - Part 79

 Thomas Eakins

Thomas Eakins (1844-1916) was an American artist.  Above, his famous painting The Swimming Hole, 1884-1885, depicts Eakins (at lower right) and his students, left to right: Talcott Williams, Benjamin Fox, J. Laurie Wallace, Jesse Godley, and George Reynolds.

But Eakins was also a prolific photographer.  He took photos to assist in his artwork (above, a photo study for The Swimming Hole), but also for their own sake.

In 1884, Eakins worked briefly with Eadweard Muybridge, the pioneering motion-study photographer.  Eakins developed his own photographic methods, slightly different from Muybridge.  Above, Naked Series, 1883, depicting Eakins' student J. Laurie Wallace.

Eakins produced so many male nude photos that I am going to concentrate today on photos of one man, J. Laurie Wallace (1863-1953), who was a student under Eakins at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia.  Eventually Wallace became an artist in his own right.

Above, Thomas Eakins and John Laurie Wallace at the Shore, c. 1883.  Eakins is at left.

A portion of a companion photo, Thomas Eakins and John Laurie Wallace at the Shore, c. 1883, showing Eakins (right) and Wallace from the rear.

Standing Male Nude with Pipes, 1883.  The piper is J. Laurie Wallace.

Nude Playing Pipes, 1883, gives us a rear view of Wallace.

Figure study using men posed as boxers standing in a field, c. 1883, shows Eakins' students Talcott Williams, Thomas Anshutz, and J. Laurie Wallace.

This photo, c. 1883, shows what I think are the same three students on a platform in a field.  J. Laurie Wallace is at right.

We end with this photo, c. 1883, showing the naked Talcott Williams and J. Laurie Wallace on the platform.

Calendars - Part 80

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