Athletic Model Guild (Bob Mizer, 1922-1992)

Athletic Model Guild (Bob Mizer, 1922-1992) at Wessel + O’Connor Fine Art. "...an exhibit of vintage photographs from the Athletic Model Guild, the 1950's Physique photography studio run by Bob Mizer for almost 50 years out of Los Angeles. Originally conceived as a talent agency of male archetypes for the booming film industry, it would manage to survive the heavy-handed morality crusades of the 40's and 50's.
With thousands of servicemen idle after WWII, Mizer could find plenty of models on Venice's Muscle Beach or the streets of Hollywood. He created a one-man industry of underground photographs that could be purchased via mail-order, selected from his self-published magazine, Physique Pictorial. He started it in 1951 after his advertisements were refused by bodybuilder and health magazines of the day."