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Physique

by Vince Aletti

Publishing Details

Publisher:MACK/SPBH

Publication Date:April 2025

ISBN:978-1-917651-05-9

Format:Embossed flexibound

Dimensions:25 x 30 cm

Pages:224 pages

Library Edition:Regular & Special Edition

Condition:Both copies inscribed and dated, NYC

About This Book

Physique showcases over 250 rare physique photography prints from the private collection of renowned critic and curator Vince Aletti. Spanning the 1930s to the early 1960s, these photographs chronicle a hidden, coded world of homoerotic imagery. Once sold discreetly through mail-order catalogues and underground physique magazines, the prints point to an emergent queer sensibility and visibility.

Accompanying this visual archive is a personal essay by Aletti which traces the historical and political significance of these images, firmly establishing their place in the canon of photography. He celebrates the artistry of the photographers, models, and studios that brought the photographs to life. Physique reveals a forgotten chapter of American gay culture in which photographic prints served as a lifeline, connecting a community of men under threat while also providing solace, pleasure, and empowerment amid oppression.

Other Books by Vince Aletti in Our Collection

The Drawer by Vince Aletti cover

The Drawer

Self Publish, Be Happy, 2022

Visual diary of ephemera and tearsheets from Aletti's collection

Male by Vince Aletti cover

Male: From the Collection of Vince Aletti

PPP Editions, 2010

Photography celebrating the male form across decades

Issues by Vince Aletti cover

Issues: A History of Photography in Fashion Magazines

Phaidon, 2019

Chronicle of fashion photography through magazine history

The Disco Files by Vince Aletti cover

The Disco Files 1973-78

DJhistory.com, 2009

Week-by-week chronicle of NYC's underground disco scene

Library Information

Location:Hudson Street Library, NYC

Classification:Photography; Individual Photographers; General Monographs

Acquisition:Recently acquired (2025)

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