A new art book titled ‘Physique’ by renowned critic and curator Vince Aletti has collected rare photos from bodybuilding and weightlifting magazines from the early 20th Century through the 60’s. The collection highlights an “emergent queer sensibility” from a time when closeted men in the pre-liberation era had to hide their orientation. These frequently suggestive images from “physique magazines” were disguised as being about health and fitness, but were often barely-disguised softcore queer erotica for and by gay men. The book, which includes over 250 images, also has an essay from Aletti that gives insight into the history of the hidden gay culture of these magazines. In it, he shares a personal account of coming across such a magazine while on a family vacation. He writes:
“I don’t remember picking up the magazine, but it opened to a page which stopped and startled me. Two mostly naked teen-agers were posed for a picture titled ‘Victor and Vanquished,’ one slung over the other’s shoulders. Both boys were smiling, exhilarated, but I was fixated on their points of contact, especially where the naked groin of the Vanquished touched the Victor’s bare shoulder. What did that feel like? What could that feel like? Thinking about it made me dizzy and more aroused than I realized.”
Popular magazines from the 30’s such as ‘Strength & Health’ started the trend, but many of them distanced themselves from allusions of homosexual activity. Other magazines were printed pocket-sized to be easier to hide, such as ‘Adonis’ and ‘Body Beautiful’. At the time, homosexuality was illegal, and magazines had to operate within the confines of strictly enforced obscenity laws.
