Bodybuilders - Part 44

Jack Thomas

Jack Thomas, originally from Maine, got hooked on weight training and fitness at an early age and won the Junior Mr. America contest.

He is best known for a series of photos taken by California photographer Russ Warner in the 1950s showing Jack Thomas and fitness guru Jack LaLanne nude together.  We'll look at those another day.  Today, we look at photos of Jack Thomas alone, also taken by Russ Warner.

I was not able to find specific dates for these photos, but they are from the 1950s.

I know someone who should appreciate the shadow in this photo.

Posing with a fishing net.

Posing with a bamboo pole.

I don't know if it's the pose, the detail, or what, but I really like this photo.

Posing outdoors.

Outdoors on some rocks.

We end with this photo, taken on those same rocks, that was used as a magazine cover for Trim Quarterly, a physique and gay interest magazine.  And it gives us a clue for the date of the photos.

Bodybuilders - Part 43

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

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!

Bodybuilders - Part 41

Alexandru Carjaliu

Alexandru Carjaliu is a Romanian bodybuilder and personal trainer.  In 2014 he entered his first contest, the Tiger Classic in Bucharest, Romania (above) and won 4th place. 

He has entered other bodybuilder contests since, but he has not won any that I know of.  But he has posed for some nude photos, like the one above ...

and this one ...

and this one.

Here's a selfie ...

and another selfie.

We end with this gif.

Bodybuilders - Part 40

Canada Day
Billy Hill

Today is Canada Day, and to celebrate it, we present Mr. Canada 1954, Billy Hill (1928-1978).  Above, a clip from a 1950s silent gay beefcake posing film that was introduced as "The Young Physique presents Billy Hill and Friends in Duals".  Billy was gay, and his appeal to gay men in the pre-Stonewall era was mostly through magazine spreads and black-and-white glossies.

Billy was from Montreal, and he won the Mr. Montreal title before he became Mr. Canada.  He was a favorite model for Montreal photographer Alan B. Stone, who took all of the remaining photos.  I got several of these from Vintage Muscle Men (thanks, Jerry).

These photos are notable for the industrial setting.

Billy shows his winning smile.

Photographer Alan Stone was physically disabled with rheumatoid arthritis, and Billy actually carried Mr. Stone to some difficult-to-reach photography sites.

We end with a rear view of Billy Hill.  To all our Canadian viewers, happy Canada Day!

Bodybuilders - Part 39

Arthur Harris

Arthur (Art) Harris (1933-2003) was a bodybuilder in the 1950s.  He won the Mr. National Capital contest in 1955.

People today are surprised that, despite his physique, he only scored 8th in the 1959 AAU Mr. America contest.  It's because racial discrimination was rampant.  The first black man to win the contest was Chris Dickerson in 1970.  This photo is by Al Urban, who appreciated Harris' physique.

A back view by Al Urban.

I got the next two photos from Vintage Muscle Men.  Thanks, Jerry!  They are also by Al Urban.  Here Harris holds a staff.

We close with him brandishing a sword.

Bodybuilders - Part 38

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Bodybuilders - Part 24

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.