Physique: The Life of John S. Barrington [Paperback]

Rupert Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1996

A depiction of bohemian life in London, New York and Paris, the outlandish schemes that often ended in prison, and a series of strange friendships and celebrities from Coward to Cocteau to Lennon and Bob Marley. Over 100 illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A pornographer and bisexual photographer of male "physique" images in postwar Britain, Barrington, who died in 1991 of leukemia, was a husband and father who also had lifelong sexual promiscuities with men. His photos, which nowadays seem either frankly bad or laughably innocent, earned him jail sentences in those less tolerant times. Yet the main tragedy of his life, according to author Smith, a London journalist, was Barrington's lack of talent. He managed to contact a circle of accomplished gay men, making brief visits to a cordial Cocteau, approaching a rather more ironic Noel Coward in a rest room and selling gay porn to Gore Vital and Franco Zeffirelli. But ultimately, he lacked the genius to make any of his famous acquaintances respect him, and the interest of this book also flags accordingly. Not as wildly flamboyant or hysterically bad as other schlock-masters like the American film director Ed Wood or even as stylish as gay pornographers like the artist Tom of Finland or the author Samuel Seward (aka "Phil Andros"), Barrington is a less compelling subject even than the over-publicized Quentin Crisp. Smith, who has also authored another title for Serpent's Tail, Man Enough to Be aWoman, about the transvestite performer Jayne County, has the merit of writing clear prose and being surprised by none of the twists and turns of Barrington's ultimately unsatisfactory life. If he overrates Barrington's work, it is with the fondness one would accord to a silly old uncle's persistent foibles.

Copyright 1997 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Serpent's Tail (September 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1852423749
• ISBN-13: 978-1852423742
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,989,909 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great, Facinating Biography, June 17, 2000

By 

Anon - See all my reviews

This review is from: Physique: The Life of John S. Barrington (Paperback)

This is a very facinating biography of a very interesting and eccentric man. John S. Barrington was a "pioneer" in the field of physique and male-nude photography. He was also very big on being "showy." This book is well written, interesting, and covers his life well from birth 'til death. It also includes examples of his work and pictures of the artist at various times and ages. This is a must read for those who like to read about interesting lives.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting biography of pioneer physique photographer, September 7, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Physique: The Life of John S. Barrington (Paperback)

A biography of one of the pioneer physique photographers of the 1940s-1960s. Contains a number of photos of the photographer and his models. Readers may also want to look at Kouros, a collection of Barrington's photographic work.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Life of a pornographer, June 3, 2002

By 

Curtis Lane (Orlando, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Physique: The Life of John S. Barrington (Paperback)

This is an interesting look at a unique life and personality. Not quite worth the five star rating I have it when I was younger, but still a worthwhile read.