Physique magazines were important to gay men looking for a community and representation. They were valuable outlets in a period of extreme social repression, though today they seem a world away altogether. Beginning in the 1930s and continuing through the early 1970s, these newspapers utilized a coded system. This ingenious strategy allowed readers to connect in secret during an era marked by suffocating censorship. In doing so, they created a radical subculture, one that produced an intensely loyal fanbase of gay men. The actions of this dynamic community echo to the present.
In the late 1950s twin cities kid Vince Aletti began strolling into his local newsstand. To his surprise, they struck a chord deep inside of him. Through such dreams, they opened a portal into a world he eventually came to understand and identify with on a deeply spiritual level. Aletti’s experience shows just how important the function of these magazines was. Beyond delivering colorful spectacles, they provided an essential platform for artistic exploration of identity at a moment when those identities were often otherwise repressed.
Central to the world of physique magazines was Bob Mizer, who started the Athletic Model Guild (AMG) in 1945. More than four decades’ worth of Mizer’s work produced hundreds of thousands of homoerotic photographs, films, and videotapes. Besides writing, he produced some of the genre’s most successful titles, including Physique Pictorial. His work redefined what male beauty and male desire could be, conjuring an aesthetic that reached far beyond its time period.
The models on those physique magazines not only played the angles, but created almost sculptural, emotional poses. With hands held up like less-than-structural-support elements and feet rooted deeply to Earth like Parthenon columns, these designs quickly set the stage for a strong, masculine brand. To outsmart censorship, artists frequently looked to classical themes for reference. They punched things up with arresting touches such as Doric columns and phallic swords.
Ethics Mizer’s approach to photography redefined that of other great photographers in the field before and after. Wilhelm von Gloeden took beautiful sepia-toned photographs of local teenage boys in and around Taormina in the 1870s. His own practice laid an aesthetic groundwork that subsequent photographers would continue to develop and expand on. Joe Dallesandro modeled for and made famous by his spread in physique magazines. His legacy remains, with even a brief nod on Lou Reed’s downtown classic “Walk on the Wild Side.”
Even with the high artistic standards of these magazines, full-frontal nudity was still not allowed, thus photographers had to use creativity to work within very large limitations. Bob Mizer struggled with issues at home and in his private life. In 1947, he was confined for a year in a California labor camp after being falsely accused of having statutory sex with a young white female model. Experiences like these go a long way in demonstrating just how high the stakes are for youth who participate in this underground culture.
Models usually attained Mizer’s AMG via back-door routes through underground networks of aspiring performers and musclemen attracted to Tinseltown. The outcome was a highly retouched group of “rugged individuals” who became the ideal representations of the type of masculinity being glorified in the pages of these publications. Each of these photographs had a striking balance and meticulous framing, and the lighting he chose recalled the glamor of classic Hollywood.
Vince Aletti has spent five decades amassing the perhaps world’s largest private collection of 10,000 of such physique masterpieces. His passion for keeping this art form alive is just phenomenal. Reflecting on his early encounters with these magazines, he remarked, “I remember getting really turned on by that.” Yet he expressed the anxiety many felt regarding discovery, saying, “I remember being really worried that my mother might find those magazines in my room.” This duality captures what a love-hate relationship many Americans developed with these publications.
The history of bodybuilding and physique photography has served as a point of departure for many gay visual artists throughout the years. Iconic artists such as Francis Bacon, Robert Mapplethorpe, Bruce Weber, and Herb Ritts illustrate the unmistakable influence of Mizer’s trailblazing accomplishments. The latter have all learned from him and each other in turn, and it shows in their stellar work. As Aletti noted regarding modern perceptions of male nudity, “The penis is always a problem, at least in the modern world,” suggesting that societal attitudes continue to complicate representations of male sexuality.
Photographers such as Bruce Bellas and Alonzo Hanagan did not wander around haphazardly taking photographs. Their works certainly merit appreciation not just as whimsical campy curios but as real artistic innovations shaping musical culture. John Sonsini, reflecting on his time working with models in this genre, stated, “I was having the time of my life,” indicating the joy and camaraderie found within this niche community. He added, “When you work with these guys day in and day out,” emphasizing the bonds formed through shared experiences.