The HaPenis Project

Why is vintage nude male photography always of younger men. Were older models ever used, asked a wise old man. Vintage nude male photography, like many forms of photography, often featured younger models for several reasons. Historically, there has been a cultural preference for youthful and youthful-looking bodies, which often translated into a focus on younger models in artistic and erotic photography. These preferences were shaped by societal beauty standards and artistic ideals. The audience for nude male photography, particularly in art and erotica, often sought images that aligned with cultural norms and desires. As a result, photographers and artists catered to this demand by featuring younger models. In the world of art, youthfulness was often associated with beauty and idealized forms. Artists and photographers aimed to capture aesthetically pleasing images, which led to a focus on younger models. However, it’s essential to note that this doesn’t mean older models were never used in vintage male nude photography. Some photographers and artists did choose to work with older models or explored the beauty of aging bodies, challenging societal norms and expectations.So, while vintage nude male photography may have predominantly featured younger models due to cultural and market influences, there have always been exceptions, and the field is evolving to be more inclusive and diverse in its representation of bodies.In more recent times, there has been a growing appreciation for diversity in body representation, including age diversity. Contemporary photographers and artists increasingly explore the beauty of bodies at all stages of life, including older individuals. Recommended further reading, exhibition: ‘nude men: from 1800 to the present day’ at the leopold museum, vienna / text: marcus bunyan. “historical pressings,” from ‘pressing the flesh: sex, body image and the gay male’ phd research, rmit university, 2001

“Contemporary photographers and artists increasingly explore the beauty of bodies at all stages of life, including older individuals.” Seb, if I can just add a further comment. It should not just be a question of “exploring the beauty of bodies at all stages of life, including older individuals.” HaPenis does a wonderful job already of doing this, if in a fairly standardised kind of way. But I’m not sure we are asking the question: What is “beautiful” about any particular man, all men, at any particular age, in all possible locations and times of life? Speaking for myself, making, unreservedly, a claim to a “beauty” that my body possesses, whatever anyone else might say, I want to get even more and more deeply into an appreciation and understanding, through this incomparably enlightened and thoughtful website, of “maleness” and “male beauty”as such, into male bodies of all ages, in all corners of the globe, of any shape, any age, all mixed together, avoiding all “labels” (which are all fucked!) and rankings, into the kinds of male beauty that we ALL possess, as wholly, HOLY MEN. We, all men everywhere on this miserable planet, are ALL gods. No, GODS! I know we agree on this! – Aj