Joe Survilas Photographed by Joe Corey

Joe Corey took this photograph of Joe Survilas, who looks like a 1950's matinee idol.

Joe Survilas Photographed by Joe Corey

Joe Corey took this photograph of Joe Survilas, who first appears in the Summer, 1955 issue of Bob Mizer's magazine, Physique Pictorial.

When you jump to this post on my blog Mike The Content Producer, you can learn about Mizer's pivotal role in the birth of vintage beefcake by reading my interview with Dennis Bell, the current owner of the Athletic Model Guild and founder of the non-profit Bob Mizer Foundation.

Joe Survilas Photographed by Joe Corey

In the summer of 1955, the tightly cropped photograph of Joe Survilas puffing out his chest and grinning off camera appeared on the cover of the Volume 5, Number 2 issue of the Athletic Model Guild's magazine, Physique Pictorial.

In that issue, Bob Mizer writes of Joe: "Won the first contest he entered. He loves to swim, hunt and dance especially tangos, rhumbas, mambo and in fact all South American dance. Follows the theater and motion pictures carefully because he hopes eventually to be an actor. His idol is Steve Reeves, and he hopes that one day he may become a Mr. America. Some weeks find him training as heavily as 5 days. Has a ravenish [sic] appetite and it all seems to go to muscle. Biceps are 17", waist 29" chest 46".[...] The trunks Joe is wearing are Coronado Sharksin Briefs price $4.95, offered by AMG [....] Offered in Black, White, Brick Red, Aqua and Royal Blue; specify your waist size. Joe is wearing the color Aqua. We urge models not to wear either black or white trunks for photos since both present undesirable contrast -- One of the best colors for photos is Brick Red."