Black muscle in the Golden Age Slideshow

Photos: 1

From: ancaeus

Categories: Pictures

Tags: Al, art, black, Harris, muscle, Urban, vintage

Added: 12 years ago

Years before Lon of New York really hit his stride, photographer Al Urban frequented the gyms and beaches of Manhattan and the surrounding boroughs, looking for outstanding models. One of his greatest discoveries was Arthur Harris, the splendid African-American bodybuilder who posed for him often during the early 1950s--most famously, perhaps, in this oft-reproduced photo. I suspect that the biggest of the trophies at his feet was for winning Mr. New York State in 1953. (I'm posting this as a follow-up to my earlier post, "Where the bros are.")