Bruce Bellas

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Bruce Bellas (1909 – 1974) was an influential photographer of male nudes. Bellas was well known under the pseudonym Bruce of Los Angeles.[1]

History and influence[]

Bellas was born in Alliance, Nebraska and was a chemistry teacher there until 1947,[2] when he began photographing bodybuilders in Los Angeles, California, beginning with taking pictures of bodybuilding competitions. In 1956, Bellas launched his own magazine, . Among physique photographers, Bellas' work was noted for having a distinctly campy, tongue-in-cheek sensibility.[2] Bellas also produced a number of early homoerotic 8 mm films with titles such as Cowboy Washup and Big Gun for Hire.[3]

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.[3]

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.[2] In 1990, the 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.[4]

Bellas died while on vacation in Canada in 1974.[5] Bellas was in a long-term relationship with favorite model Scotty Cunningham,[6] to whom he left his estate.[7]

References[]

  1. ^ Gonzo, JC (January 21, 2020). "The Fine Art of Early Gay Erotica". Santa Fe Reporter. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c Rosen, Miss (October 17, 2019). "Bruce of Los Angeles, the Man Who Pioneered Beefcake Photography". Another Man. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Waugh, Thomas (2013). "Bruce of Los Angeles". In George Haggerty (ed.). Encyclopedia of Gay Histories and Cultures. Routledge. ISBN 9781135585068.
  4. ^ Harrity, Christopher (June 29, 2013). "Inventing the California Boy". The Advocate. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
  5. ^ "BRUCE OF LOS ANGELES' GREETING CARDS". Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  6. ^ Waugh, Thomas (1996). Hard to Imagine: Gay Male Eroticism in Photography and Film from Their Beginnings to Stonewall. Columbia University Press. pp. 231–232. ISBN 0-231-09998-3.
  7. ^ Blanks, Tim (5 December 2017). "THE BAND OF BROTHERS WHO RISKED IT ALL FOR MALE EROTICA". Another Man.

External links[]


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