Last January, I did a story (HERE:) about a new website featuring the work of Don Whitman from Western Photography Guild. The site, run by Don's nephew Andy, who wanted to celebrate his uncle's story, and his place as one of the pioneers of classic male physique photography. I was introduced to the site by photographer Devin Baker, (Baker and Adams) who contacted me about an interview for the website's blog.
Since that introduction, I've been following the blog's updates, as well as the site's Instagram page. Earlier this month, I was drawn to a recently posted image. The model was stunning, with a beautiful face and a physically flawless physique. I was also struck by the fact the model was black. It is rare to see men of color in classic beefcake imagery, and given it's so rare, I was curious to get in touch with Devin to ask about his story.
Devin knew the model was named Bill Broome, but unfortunately, Don lost much of his early work in a flood. Billy had modeled for Don prior to the flood so Devin and Andy weren't sure what material and information might still be available. As a writer, I was interested in learning more of Bill's story, even if it was just a small piece or chapter.
They searched the archives and luckily found a few additional images. Four of the shots were official WPG images, the fifth, an image from the 1954 Mr. Colorado Contest. Bill won first prize in the Jr division and Don was front and center in the image holding a plaque. Devin and Andy shared that Bill had posed in the early 1950's, and the negatives from the shoot would have sadly been affected by the Denver flood that impacted Don's studio. So much of WPG's work was either lost or damaged as a result.
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