Inside ‘Physique’ Photography, the Visual Movement That Sparked a Gay Subculture

Between the 1930s and the early 1960s, “Physique” photography—images of nude or semi-nude, muscular men—soared into popularity, even sparking a movement of publishing physique magazines. These periodicals purported to be for fitness lovers, but were in fact purchased and produced almost entirely by gay men. The genre was a subculture in its own right.

Now, a new photo book titled Physique—curated by renowned critic and photography collector Vince Aletti—offers a deeply moving meditation on physique photography and its ties to queer history, desire, and resilience. Bringing together over 250 rare “physique” photographs from the 1930s through the early 1960s, the tome uncovers an era when queer visibility had to be coded, covert, and courageous. These images—once discreetly distributed through underground publications and mail-order catalogues—speak volumes about a time when queer lives were rendered invisible by society, yet found ways to assert presence, beauty, and longing through the lens of art.

More than a collection of photographs, the book is a powerful act of reclamation. Aletti’s accompanying essay situates these images within both their historical moment and the broader trajectory of queer cultural expression. The book is not just an archive of bodies, but a testament to the defiance of those who refused to let shame define them. These photographs were more than visual pleasures—they were lifelines.

In our current moment—where queer visibility is celebrated by some but remains contested by others—the significance of Physique is profound. It reminds us that representation is not only about being seen in the now, but also honoring the histories that made visibility possible. The men behind and in front of these cameras (who were often anonymous) carved out a visual language of queer desire before the world had the words to accept it.

In preserving these images and the lives they hint at, Aletti offers us a radical archive of visibility. Below, a peek at some of the rare prints, spotlighting the artistic genius, desire, and defiance behind a hidden chapter of gay cultural history.