Passion And Suppression
Created by Arden McKendree on Wed, 04/09/2025 - 13:21
This timeline provides a sociohistorical context for George Platt Lynes's 1942 Photograph of Yul Brynner.
Lynes, George Platt. Photograph of Yul Brynner, 1942. https://www.artnet.com/artists/george-platt-lynes/group-of-3-photographs-of-yul-brynner-r12883Hsy6mhP2YCLthNQ2.
Timeline
Chronological table
| Date | Event | Created by | Associated Places | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1933 |
George Platt Lynes's Photography Career George Platt Lynes's 1941 "Lisa for Henri Bendel" George Platt Lynes was a gay American photographer who loved to use nude male subjects throughout his career as a photographer. However, starting in 1933, he became well-known in New York as a photographer for fashion magazines, becoming one of the most sought-after in the industry. Many of his fashion photographs feature models in elegant poses and interesting props. For example, his photograph Lisa for Henri Bendel features a model delicately posed atop large, artistic cylinders while looking wistfully forward. Although the fashion photography paid the bills, it was not his exact calling. Because of the attitudes toward homosexuality at the time, Lynes had to keep his true passion and most influential work hidden, even though he was the proudest of his work with male nudes. He and his subjects, such as Yul Brynner, risked serious consequences for partaking in this work, which is why only a few of Lynes close friends knew about the nude photography during Lynes’s lifetime. Before Lynes died of lung cancer in 1955, he even tried to destroy most of his work, fearing any repercussions it might cause for him or his subjects. A lot of his work still survived, though, and it continues to be discussed and appreciated in modern times. Fasman, Rebecca. “The Forgotten Legacy of Gay Photographer George Platt Lynes.” The Conversation, 11 Jan. 2019, theconversation.com/the-forgotten-legacy-of-gay-photographer-george-platt-lynes-107850. Lynes, George Platt. Lisa for Henri Bendel, 1941. https://pleasurephotoroom.wordpress.com/2013/09/19/lisa-for-henri-bendel-advertisement-photo-george-platt-lynes-new-york-c-1940-41/. |
Arden McKendree | ||
| 1939 to 1945 |
Violence Against Homosexuality Under Hitler's Dictatorship in WWII Homosexual prisoners at the concentration camp at Sachsenhausen, Germany, wearing pink triangles on their uniforms on December 19, 1938 This 1942 nude photograph of Yul Brynner was taken during World War II. World War II occurred from 1939 to 1945 and was mainly caused by Adolf Hitler’s reign as Germany’s dictator. The Nazis are widely known for the massacre of millions of innocent Jews, but along with many other groups, they also targeted gay men, bisexual men, and men just merely accused of homosexuality. To Hitler, these men were seen as a threat to the birth rate and therefore a threat to the people of Germany and its population. They were devalued and dehumanized. Tens of thousands of them were arrested and held in concentration camps where they faced extreme cruelty. Some were forcibly castrated, and hundreds of them (maybe even thousands) were killed. Although Lynes resided in the United States, taking erotic nude photographs of other men during this time period would seem incredibly risky, especially considering that there were still laws against homosexuality and the selling of nude male photographs in the United States as well. Brynner was no stranger to persecution either; before coming to America, his family fled to China in 1928 due to the anti-bourgeois sentiment in Communist Russia when it was a part of the Soviet Union. “From Juli to Yul: The Brynner Family Saga from Vladivostok to Hollywood.” Wilson Center, Kennan Institute, 26 Jan. 2004, https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/juli-to-yul-the-brynner-family-saga-vladivostok-to-hollywood. Mullen, Matt. "The Pink Triangle: From Nazi Label to Symbol of Gay Pride." History, 3 Jun. 2019, https://www.history.com/articles/pink-triangle-nazi-concentration-camps. “What Groups of People Did the Nazis Target?” United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 4 Apr. 2024, encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/what-groups-of-people-did-the-nazis-target.
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Arden McKendree | ||
| 1941 |
Yul Brynner's Risky Career Move Dorothy Wilding's 1951 "Yul Brynner" When his nude photograph was taken in 1942, Russian-born actor Yul Brynner was not yet famous. He was still struggling and trying to make a name for himself. However, he did make his Broadway debut in 1941, playing a part in William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Therefore, he wasn’t entirely unknown and unrecognizable, which tells a lot about his willingness to get photographed nude when it was so looked down upon during the time. Brynner was just on the brink of fame when he chose to risk his future. He became a very successful Broadway actor, starring in over 4,000 performances. He acted in films as well, and his breakthrough performance in the musical The King and I brought him immediate acclaim and a Tony Award in 1952. He continued his movie star career until the mid-70s. Although his achievements are interesting and impressive, it is noteworthy that this photograph shows Brynner’s authentic self before Hollywood and fame took over. Further into his career, he became known for his shaved head (as seen in Dorothy Wilding’s 1951 photograph Yul Brynner), but Lynes captured him as a young, struggling actor, still with his hair, doing whatever he could to get a little money and not caring what other people thought about it. “Yul Brynner.” Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 3 Feb. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Yul-Brynner. Wilding, Dorothy. Yul Brynner, 1951. https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw18578/Yul-Brynner?_gl=1*1cob5so*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTk5MzAwMTE4NC4xNzQ0MjEzMDkz*_ga_3D53N72CHJ*MTc0NDIxMzA5Mi4xLjEuMTc0NDIxMzE5Ni4wLjAuMA. |
Arden McKendree | ||
| 2025 |
Docent AnalysisThe reason I offered that background of those three events is because it helps me to explain what Photograph of Yul Brynner was doing socially, culturally, and politically when George Platt Lynes created it. While it wasn’t shown publicly, it can be seen as a metaphor for how groups of people may have been pushed into the shadows or persecuted just because of characteristics such as class or sexuality. However, the efforts to push these people away does not change the fact that they still are who they are. When comparing the Yul Brynner nude to one of Lynes fashion photographs, we can see that his public work, like Lisa for Henri Bendel, is more elegant and posed, using elaborate props to create a scene. They are more “proper.” His nudes are more minimalistic, featuring honest and natural compositions of naked men. Lynes secured an income by diving into the fashion photography world, which parallels its flashy and commercialized style. His nudes, however, are more personal. Brynner looks straight into the camera, unabashed. His expression seems confident yet exasperated, as if he is saying, “I’m here, plain as day, but you won’t see me.” Such was the case for Lynes true passion—male nudes—but because of the social and political climate at the time, he had to suppress a part of himself. However, we also see that in this nude, Brynner has a defiant uplifted chin and determined, unashamed face. His genitals are completely visible and exposed, but he seems to not care. He not only looks comfortable but also proud to be standing there being photographed. His family background in Russia might add some context to this. Perhaps he felt comfortable as a subject for this photograph because he understands that feeling of being persecuted and having to hide, or even leave, your own home country because the government does not accept you. By photographing nude men, Lynes fought back against the homophobic persecution occurring under Hitler’s dictatorship. He conveyed his pride in his work, even if it was only for himself. Brynner himself was not gay but decided to become a nude model for Lynes, knowing that consequences for homosexuality ranged from loss of respect and reputation to murder and mutilation across the globe. At this time period, partaking in this activity would have been really risky when it comes to trying to gain a reputation, yet he seems confident and unbothered by this idea in the photograph. Perhaps he felt so confident in his talent that even if those photographs got leaked, he would still be able to make an impact as an actor in America. He knew he would be recognized, and he did it anyway. Lynes did the same: he knew what he was doing was looked down upon and illegal, but he did it anyway. He wasn’t going to let discrimination stop his passion. MLA Citations: Fasman, Rebecca. “The Forgotten Legacy of Gay Photographer George Platt Lynes.” The Conversation, 11 Jan. 2019, theconversation.com/the-forgotten-legacy-of-gay-photographer-george-platt-lynes-107850. “From Juli to Yul: The Brynner Family Saga from Vladivostok to Hollywood.” Wilson Center, Kennan Institute, 26 Jan. 2004, https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/juli-to-yul-the-brynner-family-saga-vladivostok-to-hollywood. Lynes, George Platt. Lisa for Henri Bendel, 1941. https://pleasurephotoroom.wordpress.com/2013/09/19/lisa-for-henri-bendel-advertisement-photo-george-platt-lynes-new-york-c-1940-41/. Lynes, George Platt. Photograph of Yul Brynner, 1942. https://www.artnet.com/artists/george-platt-lynes/group-of-3-photographs-of-yul-brynner-r12883Hsy6mhP2YCLthNQ2. “What Groups of People Did the Nazis Target?” United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 4 Apr. 2024, encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/what-groups-of-people-did-the-nazis-target. Wilding, Dorothy. Yul Brynner, 1951. https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw18578/Yul-Brynner?_gl=1*1cob5so*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTk5MzAwMTE4NC4xNzQ0MjEzMDkz*_ga_3D53N72CHJ*MTc0NDIxMzA5Mi4xLjEuMTc0NDIxMzE5Ni4wLjAuMA. “Yul Brynner.” Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 3 Feb. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Yul-Brynner. |
Arden McKendree |