Bruce of Los Angeles Rare Male Duo Studio Stamped Orig B&W 1950s Photograph

An original iconic male physique photograph by legendary photographer Bruce Bellas aka Bruce of Los Angeles. Our collection (soon to be available on separate listings are all original (not copied from negative). This iconic image with a beach ball was one of the props that became synonymous with a Bruce Bellas photograph. Printed in the 1950s, the stamped images were printed when he was alive. They are the rare, sought after photographs prized by collectors of the genre. 8x 10 photograph, white matt, beautifully framed in classic black. Bio: An icon of gay art and one of the most famous names in physique photography, Bruce Bellas is remembered today as a pioneer of beefcake. Beginning in the 1940s and continuing until his death in 1974, Bellas photographed some of the most important figures in the world of physical culture; bodybuilders Steve Reeves, Bob McCune, and George Eiferman, and models Joe Dallesandro, Mark Nixon, and Brian Idol...

From an important 25 plus year collection of Male Physique and Beefcake photography, an iconic image done by Bruce in the studio with model posing on the iconic black and white floor, showing off his masculine back.. Printed in the 1960s and are all signed by the studio on verso when Mr. Bruce Bellas aka Bruce of LA was alive. Beautifully, professionally framed. Double white mat and simple black frame. All original photos are 8 x 10. Framed 16.50" W x 19" H. Please see other listings for more photographs from this collection available for sale for the 1st time. These listing photographs are very hard to shoot under glass. They are sharp, clear photographs printed the old fashioned way, by hand in the late 50s and early 60s. BIO: Bruce Harry Bellas (July 7, 1909 – July 1974) was an American photographer. He was influential in his work with male physiques and nudes. Bellas was well known under the pseudonym Bruce of Los Angeles. History and influence Bruce Harry Bellas was born in Alliance, Nebraska on July 7, 1909. He worked as a chemistry teacher there until 1947, when he began photographing bodybuilders in Los Angeles, California, beginning with taking pictures of bodybuilding competitions. In 1956, Bellas launched his own magazine, The Male Figure. Among physique photographers, Bellas' work was noted for having a distinctly campy, tongue-in-cheek sensibility. Bellas also produced a number of early homoerotic 8 mm films with titles such as Cowboy Washup and Big Gun for Hire. Bellas was known to travel around the country, finding new models to photograph and also personally delivering nude photographs to customers, since they were liable to be seized by postal inspectors if sent through the mail. An extensive archive of Bellas' nude male physique...

A rare early B & W orig photograph from Bruce Bellas. This tasteful nude is a horizontal image of a handsome blond male model. The verso has the early stamp with PO Box in Los Angele...

It is very rare to find a desirable iconic two piece set of original Bruce of Los Angeles vintage photographs. Especially with the iconic early work of...

Popular beef cake model Drew Burton was photographed by many male physique photographers. His All American Good Looks made him very popular! Didn't hurt th...

1950s Laurence Tilley photograph of a cow made from everyday objects.

Vintage American gas station photograph, circa early 1950s A unique Southern gas station which features a converted railroad car as its office in the back...

Although Fritz Henle was born in Germany and worked in America for years, he was truly an international figure, living and working in the Caribbean, Asia, Mexico and Europe over several decades. He was called "the last of the great classic photographers" by Helmut Gernsheim, the great photography historian, and because he often used the 2.25" square format film for the Rolleiflex camera...