World Naked Bike Ride - Part 82

Mexico City 2016

Today's photos are from the World Naked Bike Ride (WNBR) in Mexico City in 2016, by Mexican artist Felix d'Eon, whose art we have covered in earlier posts.  This is Felix being uncharacteristically modest and covering up.

Here's Felix (at left) with some friends.

You don't have to be naked at the World Naked Bike Ride – it's "as bare as you dare" – and you don't even have to ride a bike.  This guy rode on skates.

A rear view of the riders for those who appreciate rear views.

This guy's body paint expressed one of WNBR's goals: to get drivers to pay attention to bike riders on the road all the time, not just when they're naked, because they're fragile compared to cars.  The other main goal is to encourage people to ride bikes rather than driving cars, because cars cause pollution that bikes don't.

We end with a rear view of Felix d'Eon (at right) and friends.

Estonian Photos - Part 38

Estonian Photos

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

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.

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

Note: the dark faces and hands are not as visible in today's post as in some previous posts, but still faintly visible in some of the side views.  Perhaps the photos in today's post were taken in the winter, when farmers would not be spending as much time outside getting tanned.

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.

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.

One other question that perennially arises from these photos is: 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.

So, 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.

Vintage Military - Part 83

 World War II - German POWs

Today we look at photos and video of German prisoners of war captured by the British after the invasion of Normandy in 1944.  Above is a video of German POWs in Normandy stripped naked and sprayed, probably with something to combat lice. 

Above, a POW transit camp in Leopoldsburg, Belgium.  The caption said "One of the first things that happens for a POW is a hot shower."

Another photo of the shower at Leopoldsburg.

Then the German POWs were transported to a POW camp in England.  The remaining photos are from the No. 9 POW Reception Camp.  POWs were searched and personal items were listed, above.

Then medical inspection began.

We end with POWs being checked for lice etc. by the Red Cross.

Olympic Photos by Paul Richer - Part 10

Olympic Photos by Paul Richer, part 10

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 French cyclist Fernand Sanz, above.  He won a silver medal in the bicycle sprint.  Interestingly, Sanz was the illegitimate son of King Alfonso XII of Spain.

Here are Paul Richer's photos of Fernand Sanz, front view ...

side view ...

and rear view.

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

Danish athlete Eugen Schmidt is pictured at left above.  He competed in shooting and in the tug-of-war, in which the mixed Danish-Swedish team won the gold medal.

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

rear view ...

and side view.

This is Danish runner Ernst Schultz.  He won bronze in the 400 meter race.

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

side view ...

and rear view.

American athlete Dick Sheldon won a gold medal in shotput.  I got this picture of him from Vintage Muscle Men.  Thanks, Jerry!

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

side view ...

and rear view.

Next time: more Paul Richer Olympic athlete photos.

Performers - Part 78

Mozart - Die Entführung aus dem Serail

Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail (The Abduction from the Seraglio) is a lighthearted opera in which the hero rescues his beloved, who has been kidnapped and is being held in a Turkish harem.

In 2004, at the Komische Oper in Berlin, director Calixto Bieito transformed the setting from a Turkish harem to a Berlin brothel with fetishism, masturbation, urinating (singer on singer) and nipple-slicing. Subscribers and sponsors were outraged.

One of the characters, Osmin, who manages the seraglio, appeared completely naked, as seen above.  Osmin was played by bass singer Jens Larsen.

And you thought classical music was boring!

Photographers - Part 78

 George Dureau, part 2

Earlier this month we saw some photographs by New Orleans photographer George Dureau (1930-2014).  Today we look at some more of his work.  He took many photos of black men, many of them nude.  Above, Jonas Williams, 1979.

This photo of Jordan Page, Emmitt Johnson and Gloria Johnson, 1983, is unusual for including a woman.  Almost all of Dureau's nudes were men.

Raymond Maxwell Hall.

Rico Fortune.

Dureau is unique in that he took many photos of dwarfs and amputees.  Above, Sonny Singleton.

Another little person, Stanley Hurd, 1983.

Wing Ding Crest, an amputee.

We end with another amputee, Wilbert Hines.

Dureau taught Robert Mapplethorpe, who is said to have been inspired by Dureau's amputee and dwarf photos, which showed the figures as "exposed and vulnerable, playful and needy, complex and entirely human individuals."

George Dureau died in 2014 of Alzheimer's, aged 83.