This, rather than Stonewall (1969), began the process that would eventually lead to homosexual\u00a0equality in Britain.<\/p>
The exhibition was at the Menier Gallery<\/strong><\/a> near London Bridge and Tate Modern<\/a>\u00a0from\u00a024 July -12 August 2017. \u00a0Tate Britain were showing Queer British Art 1863-1967 at the same time.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p> The exhibition was accompanied by a fully illustrated 64 page publication detailing the history, social context, legal issues and the individual photographers and artists. Copies are available direct at \u00a315 + p&p. email modelmen@guyburch.co.uk\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n The Exhibition focusing on photography produced during what could be called the Physique Era (1945-1970). \u00a0Stylistically recognisably gay, the resulting \u2018posing pouch\u2019 images are not sexually explicit: in most \u2013 but not all – genital nudity was highly circumscribed by the authorities. Postal and other censors, and the laws against homosexuality were deployed to stop the homosexual from picturing desire both here and in America. There,\u00a0probably the most well-known\u00a0practitioner was Bob Mizer (as\u00a0the Athletic Model Guild) who influenced gay artists such as Andy Warhol and David Hockney. British practitioners have had an equally important effect, little examined,\u00a0on\u00a0figures such as Tom of Finland and Keith Vaughan.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p>\n An underground of photographers, often working as or in conjunction with erotic illustrators, made photographs that used\u00a0body building culture magazines or ones mimicking them, to construct a network to supply the emerging gay culture after the war. \u00a0Restricted by\u00a0threat of prosecution or exposure they were risking ruin in pursuit of the right to publish near harmless nudes.\u00a0Many had their entire output and equipment destroyed by authorities sometimes with no actual successful prosecution.\u00a0\u00a0The definition of obscenity and freedom of speech were\u00a0directly aimed at prosecutions around sending material through the post\u00a0because it was aimed at homosexuals.<\/p> Despite this the photographers\u00a0again and again pilloried, subversively nibbled away at, and turned to advantage the restrictions and\u00a0used the existing imagery of masculinity to circumvent the officially circumscribed areas of depiction (and life). Some of the studios actively campaigned against homophobic discriminatory actions by the authorities. \u00a0The subject rules that these photographers worked to undermine, produced a modern gay male image that was an alternative to the accepted view that homosexuals were weak, sad effeminate deviants to be feared and locked up. The classic out Stonewall gay man was invented in these images only to be superseded by queer culture in the wake of AIDS.<\/p>\n An underground of photographers, often working as or in conjunction with erotic illustrators, made photographs that used\u00a0body building culture magazines or ones mimicking them, to construct a network to supply the emerging gay culture after the war. \u00a0Restricted by\u00a0threat of prosecution or exposure they were risking ruin in pursuit of the right to publish near harmless nudes.\u00a0Many had their entire output and equipment destroyed by authorities sometimes with no actual successful prosecution.\u00a0\u00a0The definition of obscenity and freedom of speech were\u00a0directly aimed at prosecutions around sending material through the post\u00a0because it was aimed at homosexuals.<\/p> Despite this the photographers\u00a0again and again pilloried, subversively nibbled away at, and turned to advantage the restrictions and\u00a0used the existing imagery of masculinity to circumvent the officially circumscribed areas of depiction (and life). Some of the studios actively campaigned against homophobic discriminatory actions by the authorities. \u00a0The subject rules that these photographers worked to undermine, produced a modern gay male image that was an alternative to the accepted view that homosexuals were weak, sad effeminate deviants to be feared and locked up. The classic out Stonewall gay man was invented in these images only to be superseded by queer culture in the wake of AIDS.<\/p>\n Although I will address American photography, my focus will be vintage silver gelatine photographs by British and European studios (primarily) of nude and semi-nude males. \u00a0There will\u00a0be contextual examples of heterosexual and lesbian erotica and ephemera, including vintage magazines, original mailings and court documents. \u00a0My aim is a museum standard exhibition of\u00a0vintage photographs but also of social history. \u00a0The social conditions and prejudices that the 1967 Act\u00a0addressed are mirrored in the control and oppression of these photographers and of how the male nude could be depicted and distributed to consenting gay adults. \u00a0The exhibition will explore the social history of restrictions and prohibitions inherent during the period.<\/p> Model Men@guyburch.co.uk<\/p>\n The imagery was used by and influenced artists such as Hamilton, Bacon, Hockney, Minton and Vaughan. \u00a0I will\u00a0be including invited individual images by contemporary artists\u00a0that reflect – under the same restrictions as the original photographers \u2013 to the legacy of these pioneers.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Model Men I curated the\u00a0exhibition Model Men to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Sexual Offences Act.\u00a0\u00a0On 27th July 1967 the Act\u00a0legalised (in England and Wales) gay sex in private . This, rather than Stonewall (1969), began the process that would eventually lead to homosexual\u00a0equality in Britain. The exhibition was at the Menier Gallery […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5077,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[109,106,123],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4604","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-curating","category-guy-burch-tl","category-recent-updates","has-post-title","has-post-date","has-post-category","has-post-tag","has-post-comment","has-post-author",""],"builder_content":" I curated the\u00a0exhibition Model Men to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Sexual Offences Act<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0On 27th July 1967 the Act\u00a0legalised (in England and Wales) gay sex in private .<\/p> This, rather than Stonewall (1969), began the process that would eventually lead to homosexual\u00a0equality in Britain.<\/p> The exhibition was at the Menier Gallery<\/strong><\/a> near London Bridge and Tate Modern<\/a>\u00a0from\u00a024 July -12 August 2017. \u00a0Tate Britain were showing Queer British Art 1863-1967 at the same time.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p> The exhibition was accompanied by a fully illustrated 64 page publication detailing the history, social context, legal issues and the individual photographers and artists. Copies are available direct at \u00a315 + p&p. email modelmen@guyburch.co.uk\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n The Exhibition focusing on photography produced during what could be called the Physique Era (1945-1970). \u00a0Stylistically recognisably gay, the resulting \u2018posing pouch\u2019 images are not sexually explicit: in most \u2013 but not all - genital nudity was highly circumscribed by the authorities. Postal and other censors, and the laws against homosexuality were deployed to stop the homosexual from picturing desire both here and in America. There,\u00a0probably the most well-known\u00a0practitioner was Bob Mizer (as\u00a0the Athletic Model Guild) who influenced gay artists such as Andy Warhol and David Hockney. British practitioners have had an equally important effect, little examined,\u00a0on\u00a0figures such as Tom of Finland and Keith Vaughan.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p>\n An underground of photographers, often working as or in conjunction with erotic illustrators, made photographs that used\u00a0body building culture magazines or ones mimicking them, to construct a network to supply the emerging gay culture after the war. \u00a0Restricted by\u00a0threat of prosecution or exposure they were risking ruin in pursuit of the right to publish near harmless nudes.\u00a0Many had their entire output and equipment destroyed by authorities sometimes with no actual successful prosecution.\u00a0\u00a0The definition of obscenity and freedom of speech were\u00a0directly aimed at prosecutions around sending material through the post\u00a0because it was aimed at homosexuals.<\/p> Despite this the photographers\u00a0again and again pilloried, subversively nibbled away at, and turned to advantage the restrictions and\u00a0used the existing imagery of masculinity to circumvent the officially circumscribed areas of depiction (and life). Some of the studios actively campaigned against homophobic discriminatory actions by the authorities. \u00a0The subject rules that these photographers worked to undermine, produced a modern gay male image that was an alternative to the accepted view that homosexuals were weak, sad effeminate deviants to be feared and locked up. The classic out Stonewall gay man was invented in these images only to be superseded by queer culture in the wake of AIDS.<\/p>\n An underground of photographers, often working as or in conjunction with erotic illustrators, made photographs that used\u00a0body building culture magazines or ones mimicking them, to construct a network to supply the emerging gay culture after the war. \u00a0Restricted by\u00a0threat of prosecution or exposure they were risking ruin in pursuit of the right to publish near harmless nudes.\u00a0Many had their entire output and equipment destroyed by authorities sometimes with no actual successful prosecution.\u00a0\u00a0The definition of obscenity and freedom of speech were\u00a0directly aimed at prosecutions around sending material through the post\u00a0because it was aimed at homosexuals.<\/p> Despite this the photographers\u00a0again and again pilloried, subversively nibbled away at, and turned to advantage the restrictions and\u00a0used the existing imagery of masculinity to circumvent the officially circumscribed areas of depiction (and life). Some of the studios actively campaigned against homophobic discriminatory actions by the authorities. \u00a0The subject rules that these photographers worked to undermine, produced a modern gay male image that was an alternative to the accepted view that homosexuals were weak, sad effeminate deviants to be feared and locked up. The classic out Stonewall gay man was invented in these images only to be superseded by queer culture in the wake of AIDS.<\/p>\n Although I will address American photography, my focus will be vintage silver gelatine photographs by British and European studios (primarily) of nude and semi-nude males. \u00a0There will\u00a0be contextual examples of heterosexual and lesbian erotica and ephemera, including vintage magazines, original mailings and court documents. \u00a0My aim is a museum standard exhibition of\u00a0vintage photographs but also of social history. \u00a0The social conditions and prejudices that the 1967 Act\u00a0addressed are mirrored in the control and oppression of these photographers and of how the male nude could be depicted and distributed to consenting gay adults. \u00a0The exhibition will explore the social history of restrictions and prohibitions inherent during the period.<\/p>Publication<\/h3>
![\"cover](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/cover-flaps.jpg\" "\\"cover")
\n![\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/4-Lon-of-London-Churchill-1_forweb-1.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/lon-london624_edited-2-270x350.jpg\" "\\"lon")
Spencer Churchill by Lon of London\n![\"dobing](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/dobing-cat602_edited-3.jpg\" "\\"dobing")
\nShort video of the private view on 27th July 2017\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Quaint-print_edited-1-110x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Muscles-a-Go-Go768_edited-1-114x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Muscleboy1770_edited-2-106x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Muscleboy769_edited-2-112x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Mr-America760_edited-1-114x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/modern-classics729_edited-2-118x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/maurice640_edited-2-119x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/mans-world736_edited-2-100x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/male-classics755_edited-1-119x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/hofman621_edited-2-96x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/kellet608_edited-2-108x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/kovert635_edited-2-116x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/kris-biker-cards675_edited-1-104x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/kris-cat693_edited-2-115x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/larry-knight669_edited-1-103x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/lon-lond-bikers808_edited-2-114x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/lon-london624_edited-2-116x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/lon-ny804_edited-2-100x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/greenwood-arnold615_edited-2-118x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Grecian-Guild740_edited-1-93x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/graham-signed2698_edited-2-112x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/graham-signed1697_edited-1-113x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/graham-north613_edited-1-150x113.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/gebbe-signed822_edited-3-110x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/foto-grafo798_edited-1-106x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Ferrero-RickWayne02-102x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"AMG](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/AMG-shower-250x302.jpg\" "\\"AMG")
<\/a> AMG shower scene\n![\"John](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Palatinus-ad-250x357.jpg\" "\\"Palatinus")
<\/a> John Palatinus was amongst those prosecuted\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/douglas695_edited-2-116x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/dobing596_edited-2-119x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/dobing-cat1603_edited-2-109x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/dobing-cat602_edited-3-150x102.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/desbonnet1606_edited-2-107x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/desbonnet605_edited-2-105x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/arax609_edited-3-107x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/arax-ward797_edited-3-98x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/amg5814_edited-1-92x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/amg4813_edited-2-150x123.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/amg2810_edited-1-117x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/amg1809_edited-2-118x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/amg-sailor_edited-2-150x117.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/amg-vince818_edited-2-115x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/amg-mass_edited-3-150x118.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/amg-cat816_edited-2-118x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/al-urban788_edited-2-150x119.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/al-urban-pair583_edited-2-107x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t <\/a> John Palatinus was amongst those prosecuted\n ![\"1962\"](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/1962-250x324.jpg\" "\\"1962\\"")
<\/a>\n![\"Royale](\"https:\/\/www.guyburch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/royale-200x355.jpg\" "\\"royale\\"")
<\/a> Royale Studio\nModel Men<\/h3>
Publication<\/h3>
\n Spencer Churchill by Lon of London\n\n[embed]https:\/\/youtu.be\/W89HihcbuZo[\/embed]\n[gallery ids=\"5126,5125,5124,5123,5122,5121,5120,5119,5118,5109,5110,5111,5112,5113,5114,5115,5116,5117,5108,5107,5106,5105,5104,5103,5101,5100\"]\n <\/a> AMG shower scene\n <\/a> John Palatinus was amongst those prosecuted\n[gallery ids=\"5099,5098,5097,5096,5095,5094,5093,5092,5090,5089,5088,5087,5085,5086,5084,5083,5082,5081\"]\n <\/a> John Palatinus was amongst those prosecuted\n <\/a>\n