Gay art icon and one of the most famous names in body photography, Bruce bellas is today known as a pioneer of Monsieur Muscle. From the 1940s until his death in 1974, Bellas photographed some of the most important figures in the bodybuilding world; bodybuilders Steve Reeves, Bob McCune and George Eiferman, and models Joe Dallesandro, Mark Nixon and Brian Idol are just a few of the countless well-built males captured by Bellas’ lens. The man who became known as the Bruce of Los Angeles devised a refined and masterful aesthetic of eroticism, the influence of which would later be manifested in the work of Robert Mapplethorpe, Herb Ritts, Bruce Weber and many more. ‘other.
Bruce bellas (1909–1974) was born in Alliance, Nebraska and was a professor of chemistry before entering photography. He took road trips through the heart of America, photographing farm workers, athletes, soldiers and sailors en route, and eventually made his way to California, where he began photographing bodybuilding competition along the coast. As his career blossomed he turned to color work, 8mm film and 3D slides, and in the 1960s he managed to publish his own magazine, The Male Figure. He died in 1974, leaving behind one of the most comprehensive photographic archives of the time.
Bruce of Los Angeles Greeting Card Set
Set of 10 cards + envelopes
Card: 5 “X 7”
Envelope: 7.24 “X 5.23”
Photo of Bruce of Los Angeles on front, blank with Antinous Press logo on back
19,50 $
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