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Vintage Bruce of Los Angeles Matched Pair Original B & W Male Photographs Set
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 beach ball prop, and hands down, one of Bruce of LA ‘s favorite and best looking male models Edgar Hayes. 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. Matted in a heavyweight acid free white Matt size 11 x 14. The original photos are the standard 8 x 10 high gloss finish. We can have them framed in basic black wood frame for a gift for an extra $150 the pair if desired.
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:Bruce of Los Angeles (Artist),Bruce Bellas (Artist)
- Dimensions:Height: 14 in (35.56 cm)Width: 11 in (27.94 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:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Palm Springs, CA
- Reference Number:Seller: 524071stDibs: LU1767239682172
About the Seller
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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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