How to embrace male beauty when the law reprimands homosexuality? How did artists then express desire? Physique is a landmark publication by MACK which features over 250 rare physique photography prints from the private archive of acclaimed critic, photography writer and curator Vince Aletti. Spanning the 1930s to the early 1960s, these evocative images chart the emergence of a secret visual language, one coded with homoerotic desire, hidden pride, and quiet defiance. In that, this remarkable book is highly political.

‘Only Vince Aletti could deliver the camp and the classical of beefcake photos so elegantly. Both funny and touching – imagine 1950s Grindr in a world before Photoshop and digital intervention – the photos in Physique wed mythology and porn. Once again, Aletti has generously shared the obsessive collecting and cataloguing of his fetishes.’ Nan Goldin wrote about its author.

Originally circulated through discreet mail-order catalogues and clandestine physique magazines, these photographs testify to the resilience and ingenuity of a burgeoning queer underground navigating a repressive social climate. This collection was meticulously put together and this beautiful book testifies to the passion of its author to showcase that queer desire has always existed.

Accompanying this extraordinary archive is a deeply personal and historically grounded essay by Aletti, who situates these images within both the photographic canon and the broader trajectory of LGBTQ+ cultural history. His writing honours the artistry and courage of the photographers, models, and studios who, often at great personal risk, created work that was as intimate as it was radical. Are most of these models anonymous? It would be so interesting to find out where they are now and investigate how they feel about this stunning photographs now.

More than a collection of images, Physique is a powerful act of reclamation. It restores visibility to a hidden chapter of American gay life, when photographic prints served not only as objects of desire but as vital lifelines, offering affirmation, beauty, and connection in a time of silence and shame.

This book is both a sensual celebration and a critical intervention, illuminating the ways queer men imagined themselves, each other, and a future of greater freedom.

A special Naughty Edition is also available, featuring a signed plate and an exclusive erotic cover, an homage to the spirit of subversion that runs through every page.

MACK is a London‑based independent publisher founded in 2010 by Michael Mack, previously of SteidlMack. Specializing in beautifully crafted, award‑winning books on contemporary art, photography, film, architecture, and critical theory, MACK releases around 20–40 titles per year

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