Vintage Physique Pictorial Magazines
Our rotating collection of original Physique Pictorial magazines, all dating from the 1950's through the 1980's!
Physique Pictorial was one of the leading American beefcake magazines of the mid-20th century, exemplifying the use of bodybuilding culture and classical figure posing as a cover for homoerotic male images, and in order to evade charges of obscenity.
The pages of Physique Pictorial primarily featured the photography of Bob Mizer, who was also the magazine’s publisher and editor, allowing it to consist of black and white photos of athletic young men, creating a space for the magazine to serve as a venue for homoerotic artists including Touko Laaksonen (Tom of Finland), George Quaintance, Dom Orejudos (Etienne), Bill Schmeling (Torro, The Hun), and Mike Miksche (Steve Masters), making it a major predecessor to all of the overtly gay publications to come.
