(I have an original vintage Polaroid, hand signed by Jim French available for sale, please inquire)
Gift Quality. Sealed in original publisher shrinkwrap. Unopened. Mint.
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SAILOR
the rare 60s Polaroid figure study photographs of Jim French
©Jim French c.1964-67, his vintage pre stonewall New York Village Station era luger arion sketchbook figure studies
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SAILOR
the rare 60s Polaroid figure study photographs of Jim French
©Jim French c.1964-67, his vintage pre stonewall New York Village Station era luger arion sketchbook figure studies
Printed in Italy, 144 pages, 116 photographs. LE FE HC. Pictorial boards with dust jacket, as issued. No text. 9780615782614
Limited Edition of 1000 only; less than 50 signed.
Limited Edition of 1000 only; less than 50 signed.
Fine Art etude Academique sportif hommes nu gay curiosa
Jim French (1932-2017) and an Army buddy partnered to open a mail order company in New York City called Luger and Arion. French contributed homoerotic drawings of hyper-masculine types such as soldiers, cowboys; leather bikers boots jock gear fetish. Eventually he bought out his business partner, and by 1967, the pseudonym Rip Colt, the now infamous Colt Studio.
John Wessel (1941-2011) and Billy O'Connor opened their first gallery in Rome, Italy on October 12, 1985 (Columbus Day) with an exhibition of East Village artists entitled “The Discovery of America.” Since relocating to New York in 1987, the gallery has presented 137 solo exhibits and numerous group shows featuring over 500 artists in its seven different venues to date. On Saturday, October 10, 2020, almost 35 years to the day, the gallery presented 35 works by 35 artists who gave the honor of their gallery to exhibit their gay art. Jim French too.
Producing highly detailed drawings for various Colt Studio books, magazines, and calendars, French turned to the new Polaroid camera to shoot photographs of male models that eventually would serve as research figure studies. However, despite his great talent with the pencil, as time went on, French ultimately built a formidable reputation as one of the most important photographers of the male form. Models can be expensive, and photographing them in many poses during a single studio session proved convenient and more economical to French. But then, before the 1970s there were challenges getting gay subject matter that was shot on film processed. Going to a public lab, one would face arrest, so artists had to rely on private connections, but the quality could often be poor. Polaroid offered to bypass the lab altogether with pictures ready in minutes. To quote Christopher Harrity writing about French's work for The Advocate: 'The Polaroid camera was a boon to privacy. Polaroid knew that well when it created a camera called 'the Swinger.'"
French was a legendary perfectionist. He also had an amazing sense of what is attractive, sexy, and well-composed. He combined an erudite eye and classical aesthetics with the grit and sweat of the muscular moment to achieve a visual ideal of sexual beauty in men that no one had experienced before. A wonderful new book, never before seen vintage black & white and color Polaroids by pioneer gay artist and iconic photographer Jim French. Classic. A treasure trove of 60s 70s vintage male nudes from his personal archives, his private collection.
A true pioneer in the Stonewall era of recording the male physique. Best recognized by pseudonym Rip Colt, French “…known for his perfectionism created classically-inspired and wonderfully composed photographs that largely established a standard and approach for the visual ideal of male sexual beauty.” Originally used as source material for his homoerotic drawings, these polaroids stand as a testament to the influence French had on such pop culture luminaries as Mapplethorpe, Bruce Weber, Herb Ritts. Jim French was a student of the Philadelphia Academy of Art 1950-1954; studied with the great painter Franz Kline, began his career as a painter and illustrator, before turning full-time to photography in New York City, with his partner Lou Thomas / Target Studio. The Classical lineage shows in even the most naughty and brazen; a precursor to his salon art prints. The 60s 70s gay ideal of macho men, beautiful beefcake, chiseled faces, perfect physiques. An absolute "must-have" title for Jim French and art photography collectors; ne Rip Colt, Luger, Man, Another Man, self published by State of Man, Quorum, Opus Deorum, Like a Moth to Flame, Olympus, Manpower. Contemporary Fine Art. Rare, original images that capture the early figure studies used to produce his drawing artwork, pure masculine American Beefcake.
In memory of Bob Arant, John Teitscheid, Lowell Nesbitt of Little West 12th NYC - Loved, never forgotten.
COMBINED SHIPPING DISCOUNT, photographs books magazines added at a reduced rate
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Original, collectible vintage photographs, unique books of photography and infamous photographers, and rare Magazines of the era; Heartland vernacular and Antique originals
Physique notables: Thor, Rex werk Rexwerk Verboten, Jon Arnt, John Waters, Delmas Howe, JB J B John Burton Harter, Joe Weber, Herbert List, Western Photography Guild Don Whitman WPG Denver Colorado, Kurt Dietrich Dietrick Kensington Rd Bruce Bellas of LA, Gregor Arax Paris France, John Paignton Shipley Barrington London England, Jim French polaroid arion Luger Colt Studio Canal St NY Los Angeles, Lou Thomas Target Studio, Lon Alonzo Hanagan New York, Douglas Juleff Detroit, Spartan Constantine, Denny Denfield, Fred Kovert Hollywood, Walter Kundzicz Champion Studio Take One Sunshine Beach Club Master Physique THEM reidmeier riedmeier, Reed Massengill, Dave Martin, John Waters David Hurles San Francisco Old Reliable, DSI, Guild Press PNC Dr Lynn Womack Washington DC, Pat Milo, Bob Mizer Athletic Model Guild AMG Physique Pictorial, Cliff Oettinger, Michigan Models Glenn Bishop, Al Urban, J Brian Donahue Calafran Bob Damron, Tony Lanza, Third World Studio, Chicago Jim Jager Mr Big Long, Sierra Domino Craig Calvin Anderson, Basil Clavering Hussar, Foto Grafo, Mike Arlen Wetherby UK, Mel Roberts, Neil Edwards, Troy Saxon Stuart Pinky Rosenberg, Bobco, Pat Rocco, Cusido, RMX Richard Models Vetruvian Sennels Lyric, Gerhardt Liebmann, Tony Patrioli Italy, Eadweard Muybridge, Paul Cadmus, Jared French Lincoln Kirstein George Platt Lynes, Will McBride, Henry Tuke, Luke Smalley, Joel Peter Witkin, Terry Richardson, Michael Stokes invictus, beaumen beau Wouter Deruytter, Gaetano D'Agata, Pluschow, Von Gloeden, Vincenzo Galdi, Eugen Sandow, Achille Volpe, Rudolph Koppitz, Raymond Voinquel, Forbes, Thomas Eakins, Czanara Raymond Carrance, Desbonnet, Duane Michals, Sherwin Carlquist, Arundel Holmes Nicholls, Edwin Townsend, Charles Alphonse Marle, John Max Hernic, Leni Riefenstahl, Fred Holland Day, Crawford Barton, Daniel Nicoletta, Weegee Arthur Fellig, Malcolm Boyd, Siegmund sig Klein, NacktKultur Swiss Nudes Werner Bandi Der Kreis the Circle fkk Hans Suren Gerhard Riebicke, George Haimsohn Plato Anthony Tony Guyther Vulcan Capital, Islay Lyons Mark Slocum Edwinstone Fred Bisonnes Dennis Forbes, Mans Image Toby Ross John Gable, Dallesandro, Ohm Phanphiroj, Alvin Baltrop, Duncan Grant, Laure Albin Guillot, Roger Viollet, Hippolyte Bayard, Marconi, Frank Collier DeZine Artkraft, Les Demi Dieux Danny Fitzgerald, William Sayles Doan photoflexion, Chuck Renslow Kris Chicago Dom Stephen Etienne, Art of George Quaintance Harry Bush hard boys, Tom Bianchi nyc fire island, Vince Aletti, Klaus Kertess Peter Hujar David Wojnarowicz Robert W Richards Stroke Allure Hunter O'Hanian, Wessel O'Connor, Guy Burch, Bill Ward UK Otto Rieth Max Koch der Akt act Freilicht, Boris Lurie Habana Havana Cuba, William Gedney, Arthur Leipzig Brooklyn boys, Lehnert Landrock tunis, Stephane Gizard France, Julien Marinetti, Lowell Nesbitt, Mike Disfarmer, Norman Mauskopf, Barthe, Carl Van Vechten Harlem Renaissance, Michael Leonard, KarlHeinz Weinberger, Banksy Basquiat Warhol xxl Haring, Colt Album, Tom Album Barrington
The seeds of the Leslie/Lohman Gay Art Foundation were planted in 1968 when Fritz Lohman and Charles Leslie held a gallery show of gay erotic art in their Soho loft. In 1990 they became a foundation dedicated to preserving art which many in the art world used to destroy. Ed Cervone's "Three Sailor's". Or perhaps Patrick Angus' Hanky Panky - set in an adult movie house. Darold Perkins has taken an Arrow Shirt ad and turned it into an ad instead. Next in the Drawings and Prints category we particularly love Paul Cadmus; the explicit Andy Warhol drawings -- he wasn't Tom of Finland.... but much more than Campbell's Tomato Soup
We offer modern firsts, original photography, the arts, and gay erotica. You will also find a fine selection of signed copies, limited editions, and memorabilia because the goal is to deepen the pleasure of collecting.
( usps has raised postal rates approx 50% and ebay managed payments thus rates are net cost not profit)