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Rare Bruce of LA Set Model Bobby Kennedy Male Orig Vintage Physique Photographs

About the Item

It is very rare to find a desirable iconic two piece set of original Bruce of Los Angeles vintage photographs. Especially with the iconic Roman column, and one of Bruce of LA ‘s favorite male models Bobby Kennedy. (The one not in politics). This pair was printed in the 50s while Bruce was still alive and certainly was ordered as a two piece set to one of his customers by mail order. Beautifully matted in a heavyweight acid free white Matt size 16 by 20. The original photos are the standard 8 x 10 high gloss finish. We can ship these UPS without the glass. BIO: Bruce of Los Angeles 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 photographs exists today, largely intact. His impact on physique photography is largely felt and recognized, and the works of Robert Mapplethorpe, Herb Ritts, and Bruce Weber are widely considered to be influenced by Bellas' pioneering style. 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 impact. Bellas died while on vacation in Canada in July 1974. He was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills on August 9.Bellas was in a long-term relationship with favorite model Scotty Cunningham, to whom he left his estate.
  • Creator:
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 20 in (50.8 cm)Width: 17 in (43.18 cm)Depth: 0.5 in (1.27 cm)
  • Sold As:
    Set of 2
  • Style:
    Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    1950s
  • Condition:
  • Seller Location:
    Palm Springs, CA
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: 3222431stDibs: LU1767238974572

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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...
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Bruce Bellas AKA Bruce of LA Original 1950s Male Physique Photo
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From an important 25 plus years collection of male physique and beefcake photography, image #2 of male model. (name unknown) Printed in the 1960s and are all signed by the studio when Mr. Bruce Bellas aka Bruce of LA was alive. Beautifully, professionally framed. Double white mat and simple black frame. All orig photos are 8 x 10. Framed: 16.50" W x 19" H. Please see separate listings for many more original photographs from this collection. Note: these beautiful photos are VERY hard to photograph under glass. They are BEAUTIFUL crisp, sharp orinal photos printed BY HAND from the original negatives in the 50s and 60s that were printed before computer printed and generated images! BIO: 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...
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From a important 25 plus years collection of Male Physique and Beefcake Photography, Image # 8 of male model Barry Adkins. Printed in the 1960s and are all signed by the studio when Mr. Bruce Bellas aka Bruce of LA was alive. Beautifully, professionally framed. Double white mat and simple black frame. All orig photos are 8 x 10. Framed: 16.50" W x 19" H. Other images from this L.A gallery show on separate listings... please check often while we list more every week. These 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...
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