In Living Color - Floyd Page by Russ Warner

I don't recall ever seeing this gent before today. I found this image trolling through eBay, trying to find something cool for you. The image really struck me -- just so damn sexy! Floyd was the 1948 Pro Mr. America. He had a short competitive career from 1946 through 1950, but he continued to appear on magazine covers until 1960. He died young at the age of 38. My thanks goes out to Muscle Memory for this info.

(I'm giving this photo a tentative attribution to Russ Warner, as he has taken several other shots of Floyd and was a regular cover photographer for the Weiders at this time.)

Reg Park, 1928 - 2007

I just learned (thank you, Andy) that the great Reg Park has passed away, after a battle with melanoma cancer, at the age of 79.

Official Reg Park Website

Contest history at Musclememory.com

Reg's page at Brian's Drive-In Theater

"The Magic of Reg Park" by David Gentle

Obituary at the (South African) Mail and Guardian

Obituary at the (London) Times

Obituary at the (London) Independent

Obituary at the (London) Guardian

[Three of Reg's muscle mag covers, from 1951, 1954 and 1956, by Russ Warner.]

Buddy Basil -- Mr. New Jersey, 1960

Buddy Basil (his first name has been given as both James and John, so I'll just stick with Buddy!) had a competitive and modeling career stretching from 1955 into the early 1960s. Only one of my files has the photographer ID'd -- the December, 1955 cover of "Muscle Power" is credited to the mysterious "Togof." The portrait sure looks like it could be by Danny Fitzgerald (aka "Les Demi-Dieux"), who was, like Togof, a New York-based artist. A few more shots of Buddy can be found at the fun site Classic Bodybuilders of the Golden Age.

(That's Bob Hover sharing the April, 1957 cover of "Tomorrow's Man" with Buddy.)