Peter Paul Hartnett on the legacy of famed photographer of gay male nudes Mike Arlen

(Image: Camera Press / The Mike Arlen Archive)

Considered a pioneer of gay male photography, Mike Arlen stands out for producing an expansive body of work, as well as for his choice of subjects.

Born Michael McGrath, he worked in London as a journalist and fashion and music photographer during the 1960s. His pictures documented pop culture icons of the time, and his work appeared in publications including Woman’s Own. In the late 70s, he moved into photographing men. After changing his surname to Arlen, he would go on to self-publish his own magazine, Mike Arlen’s Guys, in the 1980s.

Writer and photographer Peter Paul Hartnett began collecting Arlen’s work in 2011 after visiting the photographer’s base of operations in Earl’s Court and getting to know him. After Arlen’s death

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