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George Platt Lynes Black and White Photography

George Platt Lynes was lauded as one the world’s top commercial photographers in the first half of the 20th century, known for his portraits of important cultural figures, surreal fashion shoots and innovative use of lighting and evocative sets. However, in an era when homosexuality was considered a crime, Lynes had to keep secret his best work: erotic nude photographs of men.

Born in 1907 in New Jersey, Lynes attended the Berkshire School in Sheffield, Massachusetts, graduating in 1925. In his youth, Lynes had dreamed of becoming a writer. He published a literary journal and opened a bookstore, both of which were unsuccessful. When he inherited a trove of photographic equipment from a friend, Lynes turned his focus toward a career in photography.

Self-taught, Lynes proved to be a gifted talent behind the camera. His preternatural understanding of the interplay between light, shadow and form garnered critical acclaim. In 1932, Lynes had his first solo exhibition, at Leggett Gallery, followed by a two-artist show with photographer Walker Evans at Julien Levy Gallery. By 1933, Lynes became a central figure in New York photography, whose stylized technique was sought by magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar, Town & Country and Vogue

In 1935, the American Ballet Company (now the New York City Ballet) commissioned Lynes to photograph their principal dancers and performances, leading to Lynes’s appointment as the company’s primary photographer for the next 20 years. 

While Lynes enjoyed immense success as a fashion and commercial photographer from the 1930s to the 1950s, he was secretly photographing male nudes — a subject considered highly taboo at the time. Fearing criminal reprisal, Lynes hid the photos and his sexual orientation from the public, sharing his work with a few select friends. Among them was Dr. Alfred Kinsey, founder of the Kinsey Institute, who, in the late 1940s, was researching human sexuality. Enthralled by Lynes’s figurative, black and white photos of the male form, Kinsey purchased more than 600 prints and several hundred negatives at the risk of prosecution.

After he was diagnosed with lung cancer, in 1955, Lynes destroyed many of his negatives and prints. However, he entrusted a sizeable volume of his male nudes to the Kinsey Institute, which today holds the largest collection of Lynes’s works, second only to the Lynes estate. In 2019, an exhibition of images culled from the Kinsey collection, “Sensual/Sexual/Social: The Photography of George Platt Lynes,” was held at the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields

Long after his death, Lynes’s legacy has shaped the evolution of sexual and gender norms. His works are highly sought by galleries and collectors of modern and contemporary photography.

On 1stDibs, discover a range of George Platt Lynes photography.

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Artist: George Platt Lynes
Orpheus #1 - Gelatin Silver Photograph Balanchine Ballet Classical Male Nudes
By George Platt Lynes
Located in Glenford, NY
George Platt Lynes 1948 Photograph #1 of Balanchine Ballet ‘Orpheus’. George Platt Lynes rare original vintage 1948 gelatin silver photograph (dated by the NY City Public Library) of nude dancers Francisco Moncion and Nicholas Magallanes in George Balanchine's iconic mid-20th Century ballet 'Orpheus'. Stamped on verso in dark blue ink at upper center, "GEORGE PLATT LYNES/145 EAST 52 STREET NEW YORK”. Photo shoot took place in NYC. Costumes and Set by ISAMU NAGUCHI. Photo is 7 5/8 x 9 1/4 inches, soft satin finish in excellent condition. This photograph is from Francisco Moncion's original collection given to him by George Platt Lyons. It is one of 14 different poses in the 'Orpheus' series. 8 different photographs are remaining for sale and are available on request. All are original Platt Lyons gelatin silver prints original to Moncion's collection and are stamped by the photographer. Photographs from this celebrated series are in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (NYC), Museum of Modern Art (MOMA, NYC), the NYC Public Library, and many university art archives. George Platt Lynes (1907–1955), was a gregarious American portrait, dance, fashion, and male nude photographer whose career spanned the late 1920s through the early 1950s. From age eighteen, Lynes entered the cosmopolitan world of the American expatriate community in Paris when he became acquainted with the salon of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas. He began photographing authors like Stein, Jean Cocteau, André Gide, and Colette and soon established himself as one of the premier fashion photographers in the Condé Nast stable, documenting the ballet companies of George Balanchine/Lincoln Kirstein, and pursuing a private obsession with seductive images of young male nudes rarely published in his lifetime. Orpheus represents a major 20th Century artistic collaboration between composer Igor Stravinsky, choreographer George Ballanchine, and artist/designer Isamu Naguchi. Orpheus is a thirty-minute neoclassical ballet composed by Igor Stravinsky in collaboration with choreographer George Balanchine in Hollywood, California in 1947. The work was commissioned by Ballet Society, later renamed New York City Ballet, which Balanchine founded with Lincoln Kirstein. Sets and costumes were created by Isamu Noguchi. Noguchi’s lyre harp from the production became the symbol of the New York City Ballet. Francisco Moncion (July 6, 1918 – April 1, 1995) was a charter member of the New York City Ballet. Over the course of his forty year career, choreographers George Balanchine, and Jerome Robbins in the New York City Ballet created 22 major roles for Moncion including the Dark Angel...
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1940s Modern George Platt Lynes Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

[Chuck Howard on Boardwalk, Probably Fire Island]
By George Platt Lynes
Located in Boston, MA
Chuck Howard was a favorite model of artists Paul Cadmus and Jared French and muse to Lynes, who captured both the erotic and everyday moments in their re...
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Mid-20th Century Modern George Platt Lynes Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Nude Reclining, Mel Fillini
By George Platt Lynes
Located in Boston, MA
Mel Fellini was a favorite model of George Platt Lynes, and this photograph was most likely taken during their stay in Rome in the 1940s.
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Mid-20th Century George Platt Lynes Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Bill Bailey
By George Platt Lynes
Located in New York, NY
This is a black and white photograph by George Platt Lynes offered by CLAMP, a gallery in New York City. Bill Bailey Studio stamp in ink, verso Vintage g...
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Mid-20th Century Contemporary George Platt Lynes Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

George Tooker with Paul Cadmus and Jared French
By George Platt Lynes
Located in New York, NY
This black and white photograph by George Platt Lynes is offered by CLAMP in New York City. George Tooker with Paul Cadmus and Jared French c. 1948 Studio stamp in ink, verso Vint...
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1940s Contemporary George Platt Lynes Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Man in Profile, Mid Century Queer Portrait Photography by George Platt Lynes
By George Platt Lynes
Located in New York, NY
Man in Profile, Mid Century Queer Portrait Photography This is a black and white photograph by George Platt Lynes of a man in profile, offered by CLAMP, a gallery in New York City. ...
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Mid-20th Century Contemporary George Platt Lynes Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

George Platt Lynes and Model on the Beach, Self Portrait Mid-Century Queer Photo
By George Platt Lynes
Located in New York, NY
George Platt Lynes and Model on the Beach, Self Portrait Mid-Century Queer Photo George Platt Lynes and Model on the Beach Studio stamp in ink, verso Vintage gelatin silver print ...
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Mid-20th Century Contemporary George Platt Lynes Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Jared French, Queer Portraiture by George Platt Lynes
By George Platt Lynes
Located in New York, NY
This photograph by George Platt Lynes depicts the artist Jared French.
Category

20th Century Contemporary George Platt Lynes Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Portrait of Lincoln Kirstein
By George Platt Lynes
Located in New York, NY
Studio stamp in black ink, verso; Also inscribed 'Lincoln Kirstein' in pencil, verso This work is offered by CLAMP in New York City. Contact gallery for price.
Category

1940s Contemporary George Platt Lynes Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Portrait of a Seated Woman
By George Platt Lynes
Located in New York, NY
Portrait of a Seated Woman Gelatin silver print 10 x 8 inches (25.4 x 20.3 cm) Contact gallery for price This work is offered by ClampArt in New York City.
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1940s George Platt Lynes Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Portrait of a Woman Leaning
By George Platt Lynes
Located in New York, NY
Portrait of a Woman Leaning Studio stamp in black ink, verso Gelatin silver print 10 x 8 inches (25.4 x 20.3 cm) Contact gallery for price. This work is offered by ClampArt in Ne...
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1940s George Platt Lynes Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Woman in Patterned Dress
By George Platt Lynes
Located in New York, NY
Woman in Patterned Dress Studio stamp in black ink, verso Gelatin silver print 10 x 8 inches (25.4 x 20.3 cm) Contact gallery for price. This work ...
Category

1940s George Platt Lynes Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Portrait of a Woman From Behind
By George Platt Lynes
Located in New York, NY
Portrait of a Woman From Behind Gelatin silver print 10 x 8 inches (25.4 x 20.3 cm) Contact gallery for price. This work is offered by ClampArt in...
Category

1940s George Platt Lynes Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Sandy Campbell
By George Platt Lynes
Located in New York, NY
Sandy Campbell Titled in pencil, verso; Also stamped “George Platt Lynes” in black ink, verso; stamped “Collection of Paul Cadmus” in black ink, verso; Stamped “Collection of Jon And...
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1940s George Platt Lynes Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Portrait of Jeremy Jackson
By George Platt Lynes
Located in New York, NY
1935 Stamped “Collection of Paul Cadmus,” verso; Stamped “Collection of Jon Anderson,” verso; Stamped “George Platt Lynes,” verso Vintage gelatin silver print 8 x 7.5 inches (20.3...
Category

20th Century Contemporary George Platt Lynes Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Portrait of Bernard Perlin
By George Platt Lynes
Located in New York, NY
Stamped "Collection of Paul Cadmus," verso; Stamped "Collection of Jon Anderson," verso; Stamped "George Platt Lynes," verso Vintage gelatin silver print...
Category

20th Century Contemporary George Platt Lynes Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Portrait of Alexander Jensen Yow on Bed
By George Platt Lynes
Located in New York, NY
Stamped “George Platt Lynes,” verso Vintage gelatin silver print 9.25 x 7.75 inches Contact gallery for price. George Platt Lynes's affectionate nickname for Yow was "Pooza." Th...
Category

20th Century Contemporary George Platt Lynes Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

A.J. Ynocencio
By George Platt Lynes
Located in New York, NY
Gelatin silver print George Platt Lynes studio stamp in black ink, verso Also titled in pencil, verso Formerly in the collection of Monroe Wheeler. This is one of Lynes' last works, which he printed from a paper negative. This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. George Platt Lynes (1907-1955) was a renowned American fashion and commercial photographer who enjoyed the prime of his career during the 1930s and 1940s. Although he was very sought after by major fashion publications for his beautiful images and stunning compositions, his real passion was the male nude, which he photographed extensively in the privacy of his studio. His connections with New York City’s cultural influencers granted him access to beautiful models, dancers, and actors whom he photographed without leaving behind his friends, lovers, and even studio assistants. Due to the revolutionary and sexually charged aspects of his work, many of his photographs remained unknown and unpublished for years, some of them coming to the light only after they were left to Dr. Alfred Kinsey’s Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction after the artist’s death in 1955. Platt Lynes is recognized today as a master of 20th-century photography, and remains as one of the most important influencers of male portraiture...
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1950s Other Art Style George Platt Lynes Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Romaine Johnston
By George Platt Lynes
Located in New York, NY
Vintage gelatin silver print Stamped, verso This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. George Platt Lynes (1907-1955) was a renowned American fashion and commercial photographer who enjoyed the prime of his career during the 1930s and 1940s. Although he was very sought after by major fashion publications for his beautiful images and stunning compositions, his real passion was the male...
Category

Mid-20th Century Other Art Style George Platt Lynes Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Mel Fillini #2
By George Platt Lynes
Located in New York, NY
Vintage gelatin silver print George Platt Lynes studio stamp in black ink, verso Literature: Crump, James. George Platt Lynes: Photographs from the Kinsey Institute. 1st ed., New York City, Bullfinch Press, 1993, pp. 65-67 [three other examples] This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. George Platt Lynes (1907-1955) was a renowned American fashion and commercial photographer who enjoyed the prime of his career during the 1930s and 1940s. Although he was very sought after by major fashion publications for his beautiful images and stunning compositions, his real passion was the male...
Category

1950s Post-Modern George Platt Lynes Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Mel Fillini #1
By George Platt Lynes
Located in New York, NY
Vintage gelatin silver print George Platt Lynes studio stamp in black ink, verso Literature: Crump, James. George Platt Lynes: Photographs from the Kinsey Institute. 1st ed., New York City, Bullfinch Press, 1993, pp. 65-67 [three other examples] This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. George Platt Lynes (1907-1955) was a renowned American fashion and commercial photographer who enjoyed the prime of his career during the 1930s and 1940s. Although he was very sought after by major fashion publications for his beautiful images and stunning compositions, his real passion was the male...
Category

1950s Post-Modern George Platt Lynes Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

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$3,200 Sale Price
20% Off
H 12.75 in W 18.75 in D 0.1 in
Previously Available Items
Paul Cadmus in Torn T-Shirt with Jared French
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1930s Contemporary George Platt Lynes Black and White Photography

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Boreas (from the Mythology series)
By George Platt Lynes
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This is a black and white studio portrait by George Platt Lynes. Boreas (from the Mythology series) 1939 Studio stamp, verso Vintage gelatin silver print 9.5 x 7.5 inches (24.1 x...
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1930s Contemporary George Platt Lynes Black and White Photography

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[Nude Male from Behind, with Arms Outstretched]
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With George Platt Lynes stamp verso.
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Portrait of Fidelma Cadmus Kirstein
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Joe Santoro
By George Platt Lynes
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José Pete Martinez with Hat and Flowers
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Located in New York, NY
Vintage silver print George Platt Lynes studio stamp in blue ink, verso Literature: Leddick, David. George Platt Lynes. Edited by Anatole Pohorilenko, Köln, Taschen, 2000, p. 130, ...
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1930s Other Art Style George Platt Lynes Black and White Photography

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Edward Lennox Bigelow, Dora Maxwell, Jonathan Tichenor
By George Platt Lynes
Located in New York, NY
Vintage silver print George Platt Lynes studio stamp in black ink, verso Literature: Woody, Jack. George Platt Lynes: Photographs 1931-1955. 3rd ed., Twelvetrees Press, 1981, cover...
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1940s Other Art Style George Platt Lynes Black and White Photography

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Black and White

Charles 'Tex' Smutney and Charles 'Buddy' Stanley I
By George Platt Lynes
Located in New York, NY
Vintage silver print George Platt Lynes studio stamp in blue ink, verso Literature: Leddick, David. George Platt Lynes. Edited by Anatole Pohorilenko, Köln, Taschen, 2000, p. 141, ...
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1940s Other Art Style George Platt Lynes Black and White Photography

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Black and White

Charles 'Tex' Smutney and Charles 'Buddy' Stanley II
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Located in New York, NY
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Charles 'Tex' Smutney and Charles 'Buddy' Stanley III
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Untitled
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1940s Other Art Style George Platt Lynes Black and White Photography

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Silver Gelatin

George Platt Lynes black and white photography for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic George Platt Lynes black and white photography available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by George Platt Lynes in silver gelatin print and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large George Platt Lynes black and white photography, so small editions measuring 5 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Peter Simon, Yevgeniy Repiashenko, and David Mangus. George Platt Lynes black and white photography prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,500 and tops out at $4,500, while the average work can sell for $1,600.

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