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American Hunks: The Muscular Male Body in Popular Culture, 1860-1970

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Synopsis

The "American hunk" is a cultural icon: the image of the chiseled, well-built male body has been promoted and exploited for commercial use for over 125 years, whether in movies, magazines, advertisements, or on consumer products, not only in America but throughout the world.

American Hunks is a fascinating collection of images (many in full color) depicting the muscular American male as documented in popular culture from 1860 to 1970. The book, divided into specific historic eras, includes such personalities as bodybuilder Charles Atlas, pioneer weightlifter Eugen Sandow, and movie stars like Steve "Hercules" Reeves and Johnny "Tarzan" Weismuller, and publications such as the 1920s-era magazine Physical Culture and the 1950s-era comic book Mr. Muscles. It also touches on the use of masculine, homoerotic imagery to sell political and military might (including American recruitment posters and Nazi propaganda from the 1936 Olympics), and how companies have used buff, near-naked men to sell products from laundry detergent to sacks of flour since the 1920s. The introduction by Chapman offers insightful information on individual images, while the essay by Grubisic places the work in its proper historical context.

3 Reasons To buy this book

How much fun is vintage beefcake?
Sex has been selling for decades and we have been buying.
We remember the ads that we used as "material" when we were young.

Review

In this phenomenal book the history of masculinity in print is celebrated and put on splendid display. With an incredibly detailed exploration, this volume follows the evolution of the male form from what was considered masculine in the 19th century to the beefed up, über-trained physiques that became the standard of sexiness during the 20th century.

Having delved deep into photographic archives, the editors have found some of the best images and mixed them with acutely informative text. Many of the images are un-credited but work from some of the most famed physique photographers is represented here too.

It is impossible to cover everything they manage to explore in this book. They touch on physique pioneers, bodybuilding superstars, Hollywood heartthrobs and many other eras with insightful examination and stellar photography. The evolution of the male image is so fantastically fascinating!

And for those of us who like it there is an abundance of nudity! Some of these images are from old advertisements that we used for “inspiration” as a kid.

If you are a fan of history, muscles, male nudes, vintage photography, advertising, old Hollywood or just want something interesting to look at/read, this is a magnificent book that will appeal to almost everyone…it certainly appeals to us!

-- Nick Strathern