Some Rather Dapper Gents

Every now and then, someone from an old photo or a portrait will catch my eye and speak to me in a way I can't really describe. Sometimes I come across faces with so much character that an entire life story seems to pour out of paper and flood my brain with imagined memories. Here are some gentleman that have caught my fancy over the years:




I came across this handsome young fellow in the antique mall I used to work at. He was buried under many a boring, mundane visage but his intense stare and regal carriage separated him from all the other fading faces. I imagine he walked with quite a swagger, carried a weighty gold watch and had many lovers.





These guys look like trouble to me! These look like the kind of hooligans that I would have run around with, and the type my mom would have kept me away from.





This well built pin-up boy was probably the life of every party in LA and San Fransisco back in the late 70's! I bought this magazine thinking I would find naked sailors from the 40's (it's a guy-guy publication) but much to my dismay there were only yucky 1970's hairy guys. So I threw the inside of the magazine out and kept the front page.




Edgar Degas was quite possibly the vainest and most talented man of his day. His slightly raised eyebrow seems to challenge you to say any different. He has the look of a confident, self-absorbed intellect. I love this self portrait just as much if not better than any of his ballerinas. I have been looking for a hat like his for quite some time, and when I do find it I am going to do a self portrait after this image.





This nice gentleman caught my attention when I was fourteen in high school gym class. Out of all these guys, there is no doubt that his swagger and confidence would give any of them a run for their money. Luckily for me, he is real and happens to be mine. His name is David and I took this picture of him smoking a fine cigar in Jamaica a couple years back.