BUSTER CRABBE | HOW TO SWIM IN NINE EASY LESSONS (1938) Set of 4 beefcake photos

[Los Angeles]: Paramount Pictures, 1938. Set of four (4) Vintage original 8 x 10″ (20 x 25 cm.) black-and-white glossy silver gelatin photos. Minor corner creases and wear to all. One has chip at top right corner, another has chip at bottom left corner. Overall very good.

Four photos in a series called “How To Swim in Nine Easy Lessons”. The series included nine photos as indicated; present are numbers 1, 6, 8 and 9. Each has a blurb printed on the verso explaining the swim technique which Buster is demonstrating. They were used to publicize his appearance in the Paramount film Tip Off Girls. The Olympic swim champ was popular and utilized in film for his physique more so than his acting talents, but he did make for an iconic Flash Gordon.

From the Kenneth Anger collection, but not stamped. Anger may have been planning a beefcake storyline for one of his books, or just liked collecting beefcake photos of the stars.

Coded P1498-240, 241, 243, 248.

Provenance: Kenneth Anger collection.