I'm featuring Gregor Arax in today's posts. Arax photographed (mostly) European bodybuilders from the mid 1930s to the mid 1970s.
Born in Armenia in 1897 and named Krikor Djololian, he moved to Paris in the 1920s, changed his name and opened his first studio on Rue Papillon. He frequently attended bodybuilder contests throughout Europe photographing many of the contestants on or behind stage. He invited many of them to his studio for a more complete portfolio, which often included full nudes. Arax quickly developed respect from the bodybuilding community. He made the men look good and his photos often appeared in magazines such as Strength & Health.
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Henri Moolenaar was a contestant in the Mr. France bodybuilding contests from 1947 through 1953. Here he is in 1952 when he took third place.
