The Male Ideal: Lon of New York and the Masculine Physique Paperback – March 4, 2004

I bought my first book of Lon of New York photographs two years ago, a title called "Lon of New York: American Photography of the Male Nude, 1940-1970," giving if a generally negative review here on Amazon. I noted at the time, however, that Lon had a reputation as a very prolific photographer over many years and hoped that there were better examples of his work somewhere out there. The photographs brought together here by R. Massengill in "The Male Ideal: Lon of New York and the Masculine Physique" is that collection. These are beautiful images of beautiful young men, many of them presented as full-page plates rather than as among several pictures on a single page. The photos themselves are crisp and clean copies presented on good quality paper. an important feature in allowing the full beauty of the models and of Lon's vision to come through. Unlike the first book of Lon's work I bought, there are few of the silly props -- faux Roman military helmets for instance -- in this collection. The photos selected for this book generally reference classical Greek sculpture of the male physique or classic body-building poses in the era when body-building focused more on the aesthetics of the male form verses the ability to pack on mounds and mounds of raw muscle by any means necessary that it became in the Dorian Yates era and beyond.Massengill organizes these photos by decade from the 1930s through the '50s/early 60s, and identifies most of the models by name, some of whom where prominent in the world of competitive body-building when these photos were taken. His biography of Lon's life is fairly detailed, quite moving and often sad when we learn of the police harassment. the mass destruction of so much of his work and how Lon was driven from physique photography by targeted prosecutions before fading into obscurity and poverty in later life. The saving grace in this story was how a revival of interest in this genre in the 1990s brought Lon new celebrity and a bit of income from his work before his death in December 1998. It is a deeply moving story and I'm glad Messengill included it here. I couldn't recommend this collection more enthusiastically.

Many images were printed with lots of white edges which made the images less impressive. Also, it feels a bit short of contents. There are many other options of similar books that are of greater value.

I am only just now getting to know Lon's work - he was one amazing photographer. His fotos of naked males taken over a 40 year career are nothing short of amazing. I hope to purchase one or two of them someday and display them in my home...they won't be cheap! Anyhow, this book, with extensive commentary and a history of Lon's life and career written by Massengill, is a treasure. I love it. The photos were taken with no digital camera yet they are works of art. All of them. This is probably the best book of its kind that I have encountered. I wish they could all be this good. Lon was the Ansel Adams of male nude photography. A tremendous thank you to Massengill for doing this book. It's an amazing contribution to the photo world.

ONLY wish, is that it were hardcover.

I was only expecting the photos to be revealing. But this book is so well written that the shots expose even deeper beauty. Photographic history can be so dry, but in this author's hands you are engaged. No longer are the photos just nude shots, but a dangerous moment captured between a man behind a camera and another very real person in front. Illegal in their day, the prints were an act of daring as well as art - but the extent of the daring and danger are only truly felt after reading the great text. This book is a joy!

Reed Massengill's book on Lon of New York is superb. The layout and design of the book is beautiful and should serve as a template for other photography books. Massengill's introduction is well written and worth reading to better appreciate the photos reproduced in the book. Massengill's writing style reflects storytelling, not simply factual biographical data, and his approach makes Lon of New York a real person, not some distant figure from the past. The inclusion of personal photos throughout the text helps to bring him to life. The physique photos by Lon are timeless (a trademark applicable to Massengill's own photography); they transcend the time period in which they were photographed to reflect male beauty of any age.

There have been way too many books about homoerotic photographers that are poorly written, badly researched, incomplete, and unilluminating. Here, finally, is one that is a joy to own, a revelation to read, and invigorating in its approach. Great pictures, which are put in context, a fascinating sketch of an unusual life and unusual career, wonderfully designed. Now, Mr. Massengill, we finally have an excellent model for further investigations of other photographers, or artists, or publishers in the fields of gay history, social history, and aesthetics. By the way, the book is also a lot of fun.

This is a great "underground" era of photography that needs more documentation & archiving. There is so much more to know and see of this age when things like this were forbiden - yet so popular.

The images in this book are in many cases so beautiful that they could be framed and exhibited in an art gallery. Lon of New York (Alonso Hanagan, 1911-1999) was one of many of the Physique photographers that were in business from the 1930s onwards,yet so few of them managed to sustain their photography career as long as Lon did. By the time the fifties arrived,he was much sought-after. Models would seek him out to immortalize them on film. Sadly,many images were lost forever after repeated police raids. Many prints and negatives were destroyed,or kept as police evidence and not returned to the photographer. This book shows us a sampling of some of what remains.Lon paid particular attention to lighting and composition, and had a talent for showing off these young men at their very best.Strange to think that most of these men have now either passed away,or are in their 70s or 80s now. One model who I must comment on is Seymour Koenig, lovely beyond description.The book starts with an introduction by Vince Alletti (Village Voice art critic), and the body of text by Reed Massengill is informative and makes one wish there was a more in-depth study of the physique photographers and their models. Fascinating text and great quality images make this a nice piece of physique history.

A great collection of excellent photographs of some stunningly beautiful men. A fine companion volume to the book on Tony Sansome, (American Adonis).