Breaking Bare-iers! Part 1

GLBTQ+ Bare History Month: Breaking Bare-iers Part 1

Explanation:

In everyday vernacular “barrier” is often interpreted as a blockage, an impediment and/or a challenge or obstacle that must be overcome. In today’s title, bare-ier is intended to imply that we are breaking (destroying, eliminating, eradicating, removing) the perceived challenges or restrictions to actually being bare (clothes free, naked, nude). ReNude Pride is truly one comfortable or “safe space” for actually being bare!

Background:

Today’s post focuses on the early days of the art of photography. Similar to visual art, early photographers concentrated on the mainstream interests of life. Nudity was not the primary concentration or intent. Individual photographers may have been interested in such pursuits privately but with very little cooperation from others (the photograph subjects). This was the general view from the beginning of photography to the later years of the 19th century.

Towards the end of the 1800’s, situations slowly began to change, particularly as the Victorian era was still dominant. Europe was the first region to see the effects of this evolution. Always artistically and creatively advanced, a photographic culture emerged that embraced both nudity and same gender attraction/intimacy. This trend was both against the legal as well as religious establishments.

Vincenzo Galdi

An Italian, born in Naples, photographer of primarily male nudes. His birth name was Pasquale Stracuzzi. His interest in photography began when he first became a model, then lover and then assistant to the German photographer, Wilhelm von Pluschow. He operated his own studio in Rome, Italy, between 1900 and 1907, where he created photographs under the name of Vincenzo Galdi. It was closed by the police in 1907.

The above image of the two teenagers was photographed by German Wilhelm von Pluschow. The youth on the right was his first Sicilian lover, Pasquale Stracuzzi, before he became known as Vincenzo Galdi. He was also referred to as Il Grande Fauno (The Great Faun).

Bonus Photograph:

Openly gay artist, Ainor Bagner, himself nude, painting a naked subject reading a book. His reader is unknown, as is Bagner’s photographer. In the lower right-hand corner of the image is etched 1910.

Take care and stay bare!

Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride

Author’s Note: The next post entry here is planned for Monday, October 11, 2021, and the proposed topic is: “Coming Out Day!”