Two Tibors

Tibor is a common masculine name in Hungary, derived from the Latin Tiburtius, meaning someone from the ancient town of Tibur, near Rome. So perhaps it's not surprising to find two Hungarian models named Tibor working in London's physique photography scene during the late 1950s. Tibor Noszkay and Tibor Urgay are easy to confuse when researching old physique collections, but they were two different men with their own interesting stories.

*All photos below are attributed to Basil Clavering aka Royale aka Hussar.

1. Tibor Urgay (left) and Tibor Noszkay (right) mid-1950s.

Noszkay reportedly escaped Hungary at 16, leaving his family and friends behind. According to a contemporary studio biography, he eventually became a British citizen, married, raised a family, and established his own business. He was apparently quite a popular model, working with photographers and artists and appearing in everything from classical figure studies to more explicitly adult publications.

2. Tibor Noszkay flashing more than his smile.

3. Noszkay in with a pedestal and black background.

4. Noszkay in a seated pose and biographical info in caption that says he escaped the Hungarian uprising over the mountains with a few companions and a machine gun and was forced to leave his relatives and friends behind in Budapest.

5. Noszkay in an interesting shot from above on a stool with wallpaper and flooring showing through the staged backdrops in 1959.

6. Noszkay on a bed.

Urgay was born in Budapest in 1941 and fled Hungary following the 1956 Hungarian uprising. By 1958, he was living in England, lifting weights, and attracting attention as a promising physique competitor. Royale Studio promoted him as its young Hungarian sensation, comparing his proportions and classical good looks to Michelangelo's David.

7. Tibor Urgay in a posing strap outdoors.

8. Urgay from behind near a river.

9. Urgay posing on a pedestal in a posing strap with a caption below that reads, "ROYALE of London has presented the sensation of the year, TIBOR URGAY, 16-year-old Hungarian athlete.

10. Urgay with shorter hair in a storyette cleaning up with a broom and wheel barrel.

11. Urgay in a wrestling shot with Brian Lamprill.

I find their stories as interesting as their photographs. Two young men who left the same country during a turbulent period in its history, found themselves in England, and became part of London's thriving physique photography scene. Decades later, their images are still circulating, even as much of their lives remains unknown.

Please leave thoughts, questions, additions or corrections in the comments. Thank you, bns