A Studio Nude From the Mid-1960s
This original medium-format negative, shot sometime between 1960 and 1964, captures a nude model posed in a studio. The setup is simple: a seamless backdrop, a strong key light from the left casting a sharp shadow, and the model in stiletto heels holding a pose as she is dancing. The frame number in the rebate and the imprint from a Hasselblad 120 back place it firmly in the working methods of the era.
What stands out most is the difference in aesthetic between then and now. In the early 1960s, the “ideal” nude model was shaped as much by stage and dance influences as by fashion—often lean but not overly muscular, with a natural body and a poise drawn from performance. Hair was styled, makeup applied, and the presentation carried a certain theatrical quality. Today, the visual language of nude photography spans a far wider spectrum—from unretouched realism to heavily stylized, digitally polished work—and the concept of the “ideal” is far less fixed.
This negative is part of a much larger archive I’ve been building, preserving examples of cultural and erotic photography from different decades. You can view more pieces like this in my gallery From My Collections (Cultural & Erotic) here:
https://www.secondfocus.com/gallery/From-My-Collections-Cultural-Erotic/G0000h1LWkCCepcc/
Lt. Leslie Scorch MASH* – A 1970s Negative of Linda Meiklejohn
Now in my collection—a striking black-and-white negative of actress Linda Meiklejohn, shown here in a rare and intimate pose not often seen in her career.
Meiklejohn appeared in eight early episodes of MASH*, including the pilot episode in 1972, as Lt. Leslie Scorch. Though the role was brief, it placed her in one of television’s most enduring and influential series. She also guest-starred in *Mod Squad*, *Love American Style*, and *Police Woman*—each emblematic of the era’s changing culture and network television’s shift toward more modern, youth-driven storytelling.
Beyond acting, she came from Hollywood lineage. Her father, William Meiklejohn, was one of the industry’s most powerful casting directors and talent agents during the studio era. He is widely credited with discovering Ronald Reagan and introducing him to Warner Brothers, launching a career that spanned from film to the White House.
This image is out of the ordinary for Meiklejohn, who was not widely known for risqué or revealing photographs. While some promotional photos exist, this negative—photographed by Harry Langdon—presents a more candid and sensual portrayal than what audiences typically saw of her on screen.
Langdon was one of the most prolific photographers in Los Angeles from the 1970s through the 1990s. Known for his clean lighting and high-glamour portraits, he captured hundreds of Hollywood figures in moments that now serve as a visual time capsule of the era.
The original negative is now part of my growing archive of vintage imagery.
View it in the “From My Collections (Cultural & Erotic)” gallery on my website:
👉 https://www.secondfocus.com/gallery/From-My-Collections-Cultural-Erotic/G0000h1LWkCCepcc/
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