"An effete corps of impudent snobs who characterize themselves as intellectuals"
Monday, May 23, 2022
Muscle beach
2 comments:
Anonymous
said...
When Muscle Beach was fun for everyone. A relative was a bodybuilder back then 1946-1954, out of the Navy after Ww2 and eager to hit the beach. (Now sadly deceased) Muscle Beach attracted bodybuilders, acrobats, circus performers, nightclub acts and gymnast, all exercising and showing off their skills. In the beginning it was all fun but eventually Muscle Beach became cliquish, with select bodybuilders on one side and the acrobats on the other. Everyone else gradually pushed out. My relation remembers some older men would watch the bodybuilders from a distance and a few would even proposition them. Physique photographers (Bob Mizer, Bruce Bellas, Constantine Hassalevris, Lyle Frisby, Pat Milo, Ralph Kelly) would photograph the bodybuilders at Muscle Beach and at the various physique contests and give out business cards to the bodybuilders in request for more ‘private’ photos. My relation never posed for the physique photographers au naturel as these photos were available to the public in private mailings, he did pose for them at contests (in his posers). My relative never won a contest as there was a lot of competition, though he did place in the top ten (5,7,9) at times.:) Muscle Beach came to an end when Pacific Ocean Park amusement center opened in 1958. The city fathers put an end to Muscle Beach in 1959,so that its venues could not compete with Pacific Ocean Park.:( -Rj
What a story! Thank you RJ for that bit of history - with a personal aside! My only reference is the pictures I occasionally find online, but you have a personal connection, so much richer! It's very kind of you to let us know of it :)
2 comments:
When Muscle Beach was fun for everyone. A relative was a bodybuilder back then 1946-1954, out of the Navy after Ww2 and eager to hit the beach.
(Now sadly deceased)
Muscle Beach attracted bodybuilders, acrobats, circus performers, nightclub acts and gymnast, all exercising and showing off their skills. In the beginning it was all fun but eventually Muscle Beach became cliquish, with select bodybuilders on one side and the acrobats on the other. Everyone else gradually pushed out.
My relation remembers some older men would watch the bodybuilders from a distance and a few would even proposition them. Physique photographers (Bob Mizer, Bruce Bellas, Constantine Hassalevris, Lyle Frisby, Pat Milo, Ralph Kelly) would photograph the bodybuilders at Muscle Beach and at the various physique contests and give out business cards to the bodybuilders in request for more ‘private’ photos.
My relation never posed for the physique photographers au naturel as these photos were available to the public in private mailings, he did pose for them at contests (in his posers). My relative never won a contest as there was a lot of competition, though he did place in the top ten (5,7,9) at times.:)
Muscle Beach came to an end when Pacific Ocean Park amusement center opened in 1958. The city fathers put an end to Muscle Beach in 1959,so that its venues could not compete with Pacific Ocean Park.:( -Rj
What a story! Thank you RJ for that bit of history - with a personal aside! My only reference is the pictures I occasionally find online, but you have a personal connection, so much richer! It's very kind of you to let us know of it :)
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