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George Platt Lynes Portrait 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
Portrait of Toumanova
By George Platt Lynes
Located in New York, NY
1938 Studio stamp, verso Vintage gelatin silver print 9 x 7 inches This work is offered by CLAMP in New York City.
Category

1930s Contemporary George Platt Lynes Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Tamara Toumanova
By George Platt Lynes
Located in New York, NY
Paul Cadmus Collection stamp in black ink, verso; Jon Anderson Collection stamp in black ink, verso This work is made available by CLAMP in New York City.
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern George Platt Lynes Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Portrait of an Older Woman
By George Platt Lynes
Located in New York, NY
Portrait of an Older Woman 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 o...
Category

1940s George Platt Lynes Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Chuck Howard in a Body Suit
By George Platt Lynes
Located in New York, NY
Chuck Howard in a Body Suit 1950 Studio stamp in black ink, verso Vintage gelatin silver print 9.5 x 7.4375 inches (24.1 x 18.9 cm) Contact gallery fo...
Category

1950s George Platt Lynes Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Bill Miller
By George Platt Lynes
Located in New York, NY
Bill Miller Titled in pencil, verso; Also stamped “George Platt Lynes” in black ink, verso; stamped “Collection of Paul Cadmus” in black ink, verso; Stampe...
Category

1940s George Platt Lynes Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Donald Windham
By George Platt Lynes
Located in New York, NY
Titled in ink, verso; Stamped Collection of Jon Anderson stamp, Collection of Paul Cadmus, verso Contact gallery for price This work is offered by Clamp...
Category

20th Century George Platt Lynes Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Alexander Jensen Yow Leaning on Bed
By George Platt Lynes
Located in New York, NY
Studio stamp in black ink, verso George Platt Lynes's affectionate nickname for Yow was "Pooza." Contact gallery for price This work is offered by ClampArt in New York City.
Category

20th Century George Platt Lynes Portrait 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 Portrait 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 Portrait 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 Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

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Previously Available Items
Jack Fontan in Doorway
By George Platt Lynes
Located in New York, NY
Jack Fontan in Doorway c. 1954 George Platt Lynes studio stamp in black ink, verso Gelatin silver print 9 x 7 inches (22.9 x 17.8 cm) This work is offe...
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Viktor Kraft
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Signed, titled and dated in ink and stamped with photographer's credit (verso); credited, titled and dated on affixed exhibition labels (frame backing board) Contact gallery for pri...
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1930s George Platt Lynes Portrait Photography

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Silver Gelatin

Katherine Anne Porter
By George Platt Lynes
Located in New York, NY
Paul Cadmus Collection stamp in black ink, verso; John Anderson Collection stamp in black ink, verso This work is made available by ClampArt in New York City.
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Mid-20th Century George Platt Lynes Portrait Photography

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Charles 'Tex' Smutney and Charles 'Buddy' Stanley I
By George Platt Lynes
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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 Portrait Photography

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Black and White

Portrait of Monroe Wheeler
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George Platt Lynes portrait photography for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic George Platt Lynes portrait 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 portrait photography, so small editions measuring 7 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of James Bidgood, Art Shay, and Jonathan Hobin. George Platt Lynes portrait photography prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $3,660 and tops out at $6,100, while the average work can sell for $3,675.

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