Sideburns and Lambchops

Sideburns — and their more ambitious cousin, the lambchop (or “mutton chop”) — have mostly disappeared from the modern landscape. In 2026, facial hair is curated and controlled. Fifty years ago, it was allowed to roam. They framed the cheekbones, sharpened the jaw, and announced the face before the man even spoke.

There were distinctions. Standard sideburns stopped politely at the earlobe, while lambchops had bigger ambitions, pushing toward the jaw and sometimes meeting the mustache, leaving the chin as a curious little island of skin. They weren’t just fashion — they carried a hint of rebellion. Schools and businesses posted rules against them, which only made them more appealing.

Image 1 - Tico Patterson

Image 2 - Santonio Holmes aka Claude

Image 3 - Demetrius

Image 4 - Jean-Luc Dufferin

Image 5 - Robert Fuller

Image 6 - Serge Jacobs

Image 7 - Bob Locklin

Image 8 - Guy McCoy

Image 9 - Tiger

Image 10 - Frank Trigner

Feedback?

I would love to hear any sideburn or lambchop stories you might have.  Send them my way along with any other comments.

The Classic Cutoffs

Cutoffs were practically the uniform of summer where I grew up. I remember the neighbors’ fathers washing their cars in the driveway, mid-July heat shimmering off the pavement, wearing nothing but frayed denim and flip-flops. The shorts hugged their hips in that unstudied way—casual, unbothered—and when they bent to scrub a tire or rinse the hood there might be the briefest suggestion of something more. Never intentional.

That was part of the power of it. The look carried its own quiet declaration: I don’t care how I look. I don’t care what you see.

Image 1 - Unknown Model

Image 2 -  Unknown Model

Image 3 - Unknown Model.

Image 4 - Unknown Model

Image 5 - Ben Chapin

Image 6 - Guy Harding Moore

Image 7 - Greg Kolb

Image 8 - Ernie Langeberg

Image 9 - Roger aka Tom Garrett

Image 10 - Loren Marks

Feedback?

If you have any info on the first four models please share along with any cutoff memories you have or anything you know about the other men in this collection. Thanks for tuning in.

The Natural Bush

My earliest memories of noticing a man’s “bush” go back to the local swimming hole, the Palisades, where cut-off shorts rode low on sunburned hips as guys climbed out of the water. Manscaping wasn’t a thing yet, so any boy past fourteen was showing a hint of dark hair above the waistband. The men in my town were modest, so that small glimpse felt charged — the kind of thing you knew you weren’t supposed to stare at, which of course made it impossible not to notice. I loved swimming at the Palisades. I suppose now we know why.

Image 1 - John Apache

Image 2 - Paul Brandt

Image 3 - Vic DeMarco

Image 4 - Bob Harlem

Image 5 - Bart Horne

Image 6 - Mark Miller

Image 7 - Tony Nero

Image 8 - Michael O'Sean

Image 9 - Joe Porcelli

Image 10 - David White

Feedback?

Which do you prefer, trimmed or natural? Please leave a comment with any stories you have about the models in this lineup and/or any stories you have about au naturale men of past generations.

The Classic "Porn" Stache

 "A man without a mustache is like a cup of tea without sugar"- Mexican Proverb

As a kid growing up in the 1970s, mustaches were everywhere. The soft peach fuzz on teenage boys trying it out for the first time, the thick dark bands on dads and uncles, the silver bristles on older guys who’d been wearing theirs forever. A mustache could change a face completely — make it tougher, cooler, more magnetic. Even then, it felt like more than just facial hair. It was attitude.

The mustache is having a moment again, and I’m here for it. Today’s collection is a little tribute to that glorious strip of swagger and the men who know how to wear it.

Image 1 - Jim Battaglia

Image 2 - Roger aka Tom Garrett

Image 3 - Rick Drasin

Image 4 - John Archer

Image 5 - Tex Murdock

Image 6 - Clyde Wallace

Image 7 - Bob Tanner

Image 8 - Myles Longue

Image 9 - Rod Mitchell

Image 10 - Tony Crater

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Thoughts or Comments?

Please share any mustache memories you have from back in the day or anything you know about any of these mustached models.  I also welcome your feedback on this collection of images.

Welcome to bushnstache!

March 1, 2026 - Welcome!

Welcome to bushnstache, and thank you for taking the time to visit. This blog is devoted primarily to male nude photography from the 1940s through the 1980s, with occasional forays earlier or later depending on the theme of the day. My particular interest is in the models themselves. I am curious about their histories and how these photos came to be. Each post is curated around a specific theme, highlighting details such as posture, props, costuming, setting, and the larger fantasy being constructed in the image. I do not own these photographs and crop out watermarks when possible to keep the focus on the men rather than the publication. If you have historical context to share, can help identify a model or photographer, or notice an error, I welcome your comments. Please consider following the blog and sharing it with others who might be interested. These men were here. They were beautiful. And their stories deserve to be remembered.