Jim squinted through the heat. “Alright, Buck—lose the shorts.”
Buck grinned. “After you.”
Jim shrugged, already unbuttoning. “It’s hot as hell out here.”
A beat—they looked each other over.
Jim smirked, lifting the camera. “Alright… grab that hose—turn around.”
Image 1 - Buck Hayes (hosing down the hot rod)
Automobiles show up often in physique photography because they were such a central part of mid-20th-century masculine culture. Men were expected to love anything with a motor—driving it, tuning it, racing it, or spending long afternoons in the garage coaxing more power out of it.
Image 2 - Bob Bouchard (hood ornament)
Image 3 - Unknown Model (under the hood - I think the photographer is Stanley Stellar??)
Image 4 - Ted Curtis (chauffeur au naturel)
Image 5 - Hank Ditmar (grill and bumper)
I’m especially drawn to these images because I grew up around motorheads. The men in my family drove professionally, spent endless hours in the garage, and were usually covered in motor oil. I remember watching them bent over an engine bay or sliding halfway under a chassis with their legs sticking out.
Image 6 - Dak aka John Converse (sitting shotgun)
Image 7 - Arnold Jarvinen (hood ornament II - Suzuki Jimny)
Image 8 - Sam Dekker (tank and truck)
Image 9 - Ken Orsini (gear stick)
Looking back, I was honestly never that interested in the cars themselves, but the whole ritual struck me as undeniably homoerotic. With all those heavy tools, hot rods, stick shifts, rims, drive shafts, long rides and lube jobs… it’s really no mystery why physique photographers kept pointing their cameras at men and their muscle cars.
Image 10 - Manfred Speer (in driver's seat)
Thoughts?
Anyone have info on Image 3? Or any other car, truck, jeep, or van memories?
Number three definitely looks like Stanley Stellar's work, and at least one reliable online source agrees. The picture appears on literally dozens of websites and blogs with only a couple bothering to credit the photographer. Kudos to this one for making the effort.
ReplyDeleteAwesome! Good to know. Thank you. Still working on the model’s name
DeleteMy theory is JD Slater, but I can’t verify.
DeleteI am going to suggest image 3 is in fact Hank Ditmar by Colt and that this photo is directly related to image 5!!
ReplyDeleteI just noticed that if you look next to the model's right leg you will see Stanley Stellar's copyright watermark.
DeleteYou are right, sir. It is right there.
DeleteOne I have not seen of Ken Orsini before. Very nice!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Pat! I love that photo.
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