Lot 119

Bruce of LA, A suite of 17 early photographs credited to Bruce of LA. Circa 1947.

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Bruce of LA, A suite of 17 early photographs credited to Bruce of LA. Circa 1947.

Estimate: $2,500 - $3,500

Starting Bid: $1,800

(0 Bids)

by Swann Auction Galleries
August 13, 2026 10:30 AM EDT
Live Auction
104 East 25th Street
New York, NY, US 10010

Bruce of LA (Bruce Bellas)
1909-1974
A suite of 17 early photographs credited to Bruce of LA. Circa 1947.
Silver prints (17)
This group appears to be a rare insight into the early part of Bruce's career when he was first moving out west. Having been fined by the police for his nude photography, he was fired from his job as a high school chemistry teacher in Nebraska, spurring a permanent move out west. During this time, he traveled the country, finding new models and shooting in scenic landscapes, hotels, and his Los Angeles studio. As he progressed in his career, his style shifted toward studio work, where he later developed his iconic tongue-in-cheek beefcake photography.

A number of these models, locations, and images appear in the 2001 book The Naked Heartland: The Itinerant Photography of Bruce of Los Angeles. The book chronicles the early years of Bruce's photographic endeavors through his photographs and first-person accounts.

  • Provenance:
    The Bruce of L.A. Estate; to Kurt Deitrick (Kensington Road); to a Private Collection; to the Current Owner.
  • Dimensions: The images 3 1/2 x 2 1/4 in. (8.9 x 5.7 cm.) to 4 1/2 x 3 3/8 in. (11.4 x 8.6 cm.), and the reverse, the sheets slightly larger
  • Medium: Silver prints (17)
  • Condition: Please contact the Specialist for the auction to request a condition report.

    Condition reports and additional images are provided as a courtesy and should be used by you to aid in the formation of your own opinion regarding condition. All material is sold subject to Swann's standard Terms and Conditions of Sale as published in our catalogues and posted on our website, and include the following terms: (1) all property is sold "as-is"; and (2) works cannot be returned on the basis of condition.

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