Sailor: Vintage Photos of a Masculine Icon [Illustrated] [Hardcover]

Kevin Bentley (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2000

From his trademark white cap to his bell-bottom pants, the sailor has a prominent place in our common imaginations, an icon of virility, adventure, and romance. Sailor gathers from private collections 150 never-before-published snapshots and portraits spanning more than a century of maritime experience and masculine camaraderie. The photographs in this book provide intimate glimpses of this larger-than-life figure, showing us sailors at sea and at play--swabbing the deck, manning the guns, swimming and boxing, "jumping the line" in the traditional virgin-equator-crossing hazing, roaming foreign ports and red-light districts, wrestling and butting heads in photo-booths, puffing cigars, and hoisting beers. In shots that are arresting and utterly unique we see a deadpan sailor in a grass skirt; one sailor straddling a palm tree and another a torpedo; three swabbies dangling head and shoulders from the barrels of the ship's big guns; and a mob of sailors astride tiny burros. For lovers of old photographs and serious collectors, for those with nostalgic memories of Navy days, and for anyone who has ever daydreamed of a sailor's life on the high seas--this must-have volume is a treasure of striking visual art, historic artifacts, and prime examples of Grade-A beefcake.

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

Over 150 never-before-published snapshots & portraits of maritime experience & masculine camaraderie.

From the Inside Flap

There may be nothing like a dame, but there's something about a sailor--Alfred Eisenstaedt's famous V-J Day photo of a sailor sweeping a nurse off her feet in a jubilant kiss has a prominent place in our common imaginations. Somewhere in the landscape of everyone's childhood there's a portrait of a sailor on a dusty bureau top, evoking exotic travel and the romance of the sea. Who hasn't at one time dreamed of being a sailor? From his trademark white cap to his bell-bottom pants, a boy in a sailor uniform is a byword for fresh-faced youth and inexperience, optimistic and adventurous, up against the wiles of old salts and sophisticated cities. He has "the good looks, cheery health, and frank enjoyment of young life" embodied in Melville's Billy Budd. He's also an emblem of swaggering masculinity and romantic opportunity. Whether pining for the girl he left behind or bragging of conquests in foreign ports-of-call like Hong Kong, Panama City, or San Juan, we imagine him lonely and seeking companionship.

Sailor gathers from private collections over 150 never-before-published snapshots and portraits spanning more than a century of maritime experience. The photographs in this book give us close-up glimpses of a larger-than-life figure. For lovers of old photographs and serious collectors, for those with nostalgic memories of Navy days and for anyone who has ever daydreamed of a sailor's life on the high seas--this is a must-have volume. The images comprise a unique record of youthful exuberance and masculine camaraderie, intriguing as artifacts and occasionally breathtaking in visual beauty. In their intimacy they provide a fascinating and very human window on a mythic past.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Council Oak Books; 1st edition (October 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1571780947
• ISBN-13: 978-1571780942
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 8.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #426,282 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Vintage Photographs, September 20, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Sailor: Vintage Photos of a Masculine Icon (Hardcover)

Although these are old photographs they stand side by side with any of today's photographers. The youthful men in these pictures are filled with optimism that only youth has. As they sailed the world and posed to remember their adventures and friendships. This is a magnificent collection of subtly erotic and above all stunning pictures. It easily shames all the trite beefcake stuff that is being produced at the moment.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Stunning Collection of Vintage Photos, October 13, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Sailor: Vintage Photos of a Masculine Icon (Hardcover)

This is a gorgeous book! It's a thoughtful and stunning collection of vintage photos that will appeal to all those interested in sailors and those obsessed with collecting compelling historical photos. I've collected vintage photos for years, and SAILOR reminds me of the importance of finding, saving, and sharing such artifacts. A really wonderful book that I'm sure I'll give as a gift for years to come.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars With 150 authentic and visually stunning period photographs, March 16, 2001

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sailor: Vintage Photos of a Masculine Icon (Hardcover)

In Sailor: Vintage Photos Of A Masculine Icon, Kevin Bentley has compiled more than 150 authentic and visually stunning period photographs of the sailor. In doing so he showcases the mystery, adventure, camaraderie, exuberance, and romantic allure of the young men who sailed the seas as work and at play. Sailor is a highly recommended collection for students of photography and a nostalgic tour-de-force for anyone who has every traveled the world aboard a naval ship with their friends and comrades.