About this Item
1st Printing. Signed. 1 pages. Published in 1961. Rare Jim Stryker and Walter Kundzicz/Champion Studios collectible item. A vintage single-weight silver-gelatin photographic print of Jim Stryker, perhaps the single most good-looking male-nude model ever, signed by Walter Kundzicz. The print is considerably larger, at 4 X 5 inches, and is presented with vintage black borders. Champion Studio's vintage prints were "pocket size" and mostly had white borders, the vintage-indicative practice of the 1960's. It is encased in its original plastic jacket. The photograph shows Jim Stryker in one of his most beautiful portraits, posing in a natural setting, in a bare-chested full shot that utilizes only natural light. "Famous for quality color images of handsome, athletic young men from the late 1950's and early 1960's, these photographs of scantily clad athletes (packed with amusing props, costumes, and bulging posing pouches) are notable not only for the commercial success they enjoyed during their heyday but also for their enduring creativity and imagination. Kundzicz and his work left an indelible imprint on male physique photography. Today, nearly half a century later, Kundzicz's work and his most popular models continue to have their ardent fans" (Reed Massengill). Jim Stryker is the prototypical All-American male beauty. He anticipated by more than two decades the model/stars of the reigning American photographer of the male nude, Bruce Weber. In this adorable photograph, Jim's physique is fully developed and perfect. He was a lot slimmer - and also self-consciously shy - in his earliest photographs, which make them more, not less, appealing as such because they visually show us his physical and psychological transformation from "boy-next-door" to confident, full-fledged star. This photograph does NOT appear in Walter Kundzicz's "Champion" book. This is the genuine article, an absolute "must-have" collectible, not just memorabilia, item for Jim Stryker, Walter Kundzicz/Champion, and male erotic art photography collectors. This is an original vintage photographic print. It is very boldly and beautifully signed in black ink-pen on verso by the photographer: "W. Kundzicz/Champion". As far as we know, this is the only such signed copy of the print available online, is eminently suitable for framing, and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. Please note: There are Jim Stryker and Walter Kundzicz prints available online, but most of them are digital copies or have very serious flaws. So they have little or no collectible value. A rare signed print thus. One of the iconic American male-nude models of the 20th century. A fine print. (SEE ALSO OTHER JIM STRYKER, JOE DALLESANDRO, AND BRUCE OF LOS ANGELES TITLES IN OUR CATALOG). Seller Inventory # 14473
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Bibliographic Details
Title: MALE NUDE: JIM STRYKER: "BARE-CHESTED" ...
Publisher: New York City, NY: Champion Studio, 1961
Binding: Soft cover
Condition: Fine
Dust Jacket Condition: None, As Issued
Signed: Signed by Author
Edition: 1st Edition.
