George Platt Lynes (1907-1955)

George Platt Lynes was a renowned American fashion and commercial photographer who enjoyed the prime of his career during the 1930s and 1940s. Although he was very sought after by major fashion publications for his beautiful images and stunning compositions, his real passion was the male nude, which he photographed extensively in the privacy of his studio. His connections with New York City’s cultural influencers granted him access to beautiful models, dancers, and actors whom he photographed without leaving behind his friends, lovers, and even studio assistants. Due to the revolutionary and sexually charged aspects of his work, many of his photographs remained unknown and unpublished for years, some of them coming to the light only after they were left to Dr. Alfred Kinsey’s Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction after the artist’s death in 1955. Platt Lynes is recognized today as a master of 20th-century photography, and remains as one of the most important influencers of male portraiture and black-and-white photography.