Leroy Williams (& Elmer Matt)

photographed by Bruce Bellas
(aka Bruce of LA) 
for the Male Figure  
Los Angeles CA 
circa 1955 - 1957

Following in the footsteps of Bob Mizer (who started Physique Pictorial in 1945) Bruce Bellas published his own physique photo chapbook called the Male Figure beginning in 1956.  Some of the photographs above were reproduced in its pages. In fact some of these images here were taken directly from those pages. (One can tell which ones by the numerals in the corner.)  Leroy Williams was a frequent model and, to my way of thinking, well chosen.  I wish I knew more of him.  I assume he was using his real name.  Leroy or Leroi is of course derived from le roi, meaning the king.  It was especially popular in African American families in the first half of the twentieth century, so its being either a pseudonym or his true name equally makes sense.