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That's right but you forget a very important person who was working on the subject male beauty even earlier, I mean the founder of the ATHLETIC MODEL GUILD, Bob Mizer, who was a real pioneer and who even was sent to prison because he was just mailing erotic male photographs via post. Bob was fascinated by male beauty and well formed muscle bodies. He influenced many many other people
who went into that business after his tremenous success story. Just think of the magazine PHYSIQUE PICTORIAL. So the 3 gay pioneers are truly BOB MIZER, TOM OF FINLAND and JIM FRENCH aka RFIP COLT!
Just saw this old post of yours, buddy. I could not agree more. I think we need to start a thread strictly posting only the best works of these and others... there were two men who photographed here in Italy who launched early male erotica (though as we know, it's found back to the time of Egypt, Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire in works of art. Let's brainstorm an ideal title, and perhaps start a group with threads - Ancient Gay Erotica, 19th-Early 20th Century Gay Erotica, 20th Century Gay Erotica Pioneers. There must be a simpler title.
Here's my short list from mid 1800's to early 1900's:
Wilhelm Plüschow (1852-1930) aka Gugliemo Plüschow (post 1870)
moved to Rome around 1870 and began photographing young males
Vincenzo Galdi, likely his lover and later continued male nude
photography work
His cousin Wilhelm von Gloeden (1856-1931) worked with his cousin Plüschow and soon surpassed him,
having moved to Naples in 1877, later buying a house in Taorminia in Sicily. His vast collection was seized
later by Mussolini and destroyed. Over 2.000 glass negatives. His work drew royalty and Oscar Wilde for visits.
Vincenzo Galdi (1871-1961)