Roger Novaro, 1951
Studio Arax of Paris

A glossy silver gelatin bromide physique photograph showing a named bodybuilder of the 1950s.

A pencilled inscription verso reads: ‘Roger Novaro, 5eme plus bel athlète de Belgique, 1951’ [English: ‘Roger Novaro, Belgium’s 5th handsomest athlete, 1951’].

Another inscription in red ink adds ‘Gand’ [English: ‘Ghent’] after his name, and above his name ‘Plus bel athlète de Flandre’ [English: ‘the most beautiful athlete in Flanders’].

According to the website MuscleMemory, Roger Novaro entered various competitions between 1947 and 1955. In 1952 he was crowned Mr Belgium in the Tall category; the following year he came 2nd in the same category and in 1955 he was 3rd. The website also validates the inscription verso; he did indeed place 5th in 1951.

Photographed by Studio Arax of Paris.

According to Kenneth Krauss (Male Beauty: Postwar Masculinity in Theater, Film, and Physique Magazines, 2014): ‘Gregor Arax, whose studio in Paris had been producing high-quality male nudes since the 1930s, was a Greek who kept his studio at 31 Boulevard Raspail for more than three decades. [He was] primarily known for his meticulous studio pictures.’

Condition: apart from a few small marks in the area of the background, the print is in excellent condition with very good tonal range.

Dimensions: including a narrow white border, the print measures 5” by 6.9” (12.6 cm by 17.6 cm).