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Rating: 
Summary: Valuable History
Review: A book to have, along with "Physique Pictorial" and "Hollywood Nudes", to appreciate the history and background of male bodybuilding and nude male photography. David Chapman's excellent text provides a crash course on the development of male bodybuilding from the slightly obese strong men of mid-19th century carnivals and fairs to the sudden and revolutionary switch to more defined and muscular "strong men". In the book are priceless photos of the great Eugen Sandow and Tony Sansone. The photos of Tony Sansone alone are worth the price of this book. Important historical document.
Rating:
Summary: Valuable History
Review: A book to have, along with "Physique Pictorial" and "Hollywood Nudes", to appreciate the history and background of male bodybuilding and nude male photography. David Chapman's excellent text provides a crash course on the development of male bodybuilding from the slightly obese strong men of mid-19th century carnivals and fairs to the sudden and revolutionary switch to more defined and muscular "strong men". In the book are priceless photos of the great Eugen Sandow and Tony Sansone. The photos of Tony Sansone alone are worth the price of this book. Important historical document.
Rating:
Summary: Lights, camera, muscles... drool at musclemen of yesteryear!
Review: David Chapman has given us a great book of history showcasing early male bodybuilders, and nude male photography. This is a book of 100 pages of fine, rare, and well printed pictures of the early physique stars, and bodybuilders. These photographs cover the period from 1870 to 1940 and are accompanied with a well-written text by David Chapman. There are many photographs of the legendary "Eugene Sandow", "Tony Sansone" and many unknown male nude physique stars of that period. Many of the photos are of unknown men who were photographed in the studio. Of course, my favorite photos are of Tony Sansone, who I idolized since I first seen his photos many years ago when I was a young man. This book should definitely be in your collection. Another great book. Let's hope he continues the series. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: A Tony Sansone Fan!
Review: David Chapman has given us a great book of history showcasing early male bodybuilders, and nude male photography. This is a book of 100 pages of fine, rare, and well printed pictures of the early physique stars, and bodybuilders. These photographs cover the period from 1870 to 1940 and are accompanied with a well-written text by David Chapman. There are many photographs of the legendary "Eugene Sandow", "Tony Sansone" and many unknown male nude physique stars of that period. Many of the photos are of unknown men who were photographed in the studio. Of course, my favorite photos are of Tony Sansone, who I idolized since I first seen his photos many years ago when I was a young man. This book should definitely be in your collection. Another great book. Let's hope he continues the series. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Lights, camera, muscles... drool at musclemen of yesteryear!
Review: This delightful book of musclemen of yesteryear is both entertaining and educational for any historian of bodybuilding and the male body in art. Long before Bob Mizer captured hunky specimens in the buff, artists like Townsend were persuading handsome young men to strip and strike a pose. The early attempts at bodybuilding were pretty lumpy affairs, sorry, Sandow does not do it for me, but things get better with the debut of Townsend and his dreamy images of the athletic frame of Tony Sansone. The really good news is that early bodybuilders felt comfortable being photographed fully NUDE and this book is worth buying for these shots alone. The men are not the hard bodied gym freaks of the Arnie era, they are 'boys next door', which gives the photos a period charm. These classic studies have a cute, naive feel, with atmoshpheric light and thankfully, several images have escaped the airbrush to reveal the men's assets in all their glory. You have permission to pour over these stunning images of male nudity and you will find yourself drooling, hero-worshipping and marvelling at the pioneering skills of the early masters of the male nude in ALL its glory! These men would not past muster today as athletes, bodybuilders or pin-ups, but they make a refreshing and highly entertaining contrast to today's endless images of o-so-cute boyish east europeans.
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