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Bruce Bellas / Bruce of Los AngelesBruce Bellas Vintage 1950s Photo Set of Male Physique model Bert Elliott1950s
1950s
About the Item
Bruce of L. A. - Set of 2 Vintage 1950s gelatin silver photographs by celebrated 20th Century photographer Bruce Bellas also known as Bruce of Los Angeles, of young physique model Bert Elliott in 1951. These are original photographs from the "posing strap" era when nude photography was illegal. 'Bruce Los Angeles' and catalogue number is stamped on the verso. Photos were printed in the 1950s. Bruce capture young Elliott in one of his iconic Southwestern outdoor natural settings.
Bruce Harry Bellas (July 7, 1909 – July 1974) was an American photographer who pioneered “beefcake photography”. He was influential in his work with male physiques and nudes throughout the 1950s and 1960s an era of Hollywood bodybuilding and was well known under the pseudonym Bruce of Los Angeles.
Bellas traveled around the country, finding farm boys, athletes, soldiers and sailors he encountered along the way to photograph. He often personally delivered his nude photographs to customers in the 1950s, since the controversial photographs were liable to be seized by postal inspectors if sent through the mail. In the 1960s Bellas succeeded in publishing his own magazine, The Male Figure, which allowed clients to order prints of their favorite models.
His impact on physique photography is largely felt and recognized, and the works of Robert Mapplethrope and Bruce Weber are widely considered to be influenced by Bellas' pioneering style of “classic elegance, Hollywood glamour and camp wit”. In 1990, the Wessel O’Connor Gallery in New York and the Jan Kesner Gallery in Los Angeles both exhibited a wide array of Bellas' work, furthering modern recognition of his powerful and artistic impact on the art of male physique photography.
Bellas died while on vacation in Canada in July 1974. He was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills.
These are vintage black and white original gelatin silver prints circa 1951, stamped on the verso Bruce Los Angeles and numbered. The photographs are printed on double weight photographic paper with a light texture and have a high quality low luster premium finish. Photographs measure 3 11/16 x 4 11/16 inches and have a 1/16 inch white boarder. The image is the standard 4 x 5 inch size (which often has a 3/16 in boarder. Most of the Bellas photographs in this collection are of the trimmed size. They are from a collection previously owned by the late Broadway and Hollywood costume designer Noel Taylor.
Price is for the set of 2.
- Creator:Bruce Bellas / Bruce of Los Angeles (1909 - 1974, American)
- Creation Year:1950s
- Dimensions:Height: 5 in (12.7 cm)Width: 4 in (10.16 cm)Depth: 0.07 in (1.78 mm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:These are vintage high quality black and white original prints by the photographer stamped in black ink "BRUCE LOS ANGELES" and numbered. Images show some reflection of the textured paper highlighted by my studio lights while taking the images.
- Gallery Location:Glenford, NY
- Reference Number:Seller: Bruce 2 photos of Bert Elliott 19511stDibs: LU2458215167012
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