Reed Massengill

Reed Massengill is a widely published writer and photographer whose work spans the genres of biography (The Art of George Quaintance, Taschen, 2010, and Portrait of a Racist, St. Martin’s Press, 1994); corporate history (Becoming American Express, American Express Publishing, 2000); and photography (Brian: A Nine-Year Photographic Diary, FotoFactory Press, 2000, Massengill Men, Bruno Gmunder Verlag, 1997; and Massengill, St. Martin’s Press, 1996). He is currently completing his first film-related book, entitled Inspiration: Greta Garbo’s Seven Classic Film Collaborations with Director Clarence Brown (University of Tennessee Press, 2016).

As a collector, curator and editor, he has produced a number of photographic anthologies and monographs, including Uncovered: Rare Vintage Male Nudes (Rizzoli/Universe Publishing, 2009), Self-Exposure: The Male Nude Self-Portrait (Rizzoli/Universe Publishing, 2005), The Male Ideal: Lon of New York and the Masculine Physique (Rizzoli/Universe Publishing, 2003), Champion (Goliath Verlag, 2003), and Roy Blakey’s ‘70s Male Nudes (Goliath Verag, 2001).

An award-winning writer, Massengill's work has been translated into nine languages. His work is included in the anthologies 1960s Gay Pulp Fiction: The Misplaced Heritage (University of Massachusetts Press, 2013) and Voices from the Valley (Knoxville Writers’ Guild, 1994). Over the years, his celebrity profiles, freelance features and book and music reviews have appeared in a broad range of both important and obscure publications, including The New York Times Book Review, Interview, Essence, Forbes, Connoisseur, Jazziz, Swim, Tennessee Business, HomeOwner, Straight to Hell, Vice, Paramour, and even Cowboy magazine. For a number of years, he served as a contributing editor to the magazines Art & Understanding, Flatiron News, and the Australian fine art photography magazines (Not Only) Blue and Black+White.

As a photographer, Massengill’s images have been widely published and exhibited in the United States and abroad. In addition to three monographs of his own work, his photographs are included in a number of important photographic anthologies, including Out of the Dark Room: The David Kronn Collection (Irish Museum of Modern Art, 2011), The Nude Male: 21st Century Visions (Rizzoli/Universe Publishing, 2008), Treasures of Gay Art from the Leslie-Lohman Gay Art Foundation (All Saints Press, 2008), The Romantic Male Nude (Abrams, 2007), The Penis Book (Broadway Books/Random House, 2004), Male Nude Now (Rizzoli/Universe Publishing, 2001), Exposed: A Celebration of the Male Nude from 90 of the World’s Greatest Photographers (Thunder’s Mouth Press, 2000), and three anthologies from FotoFactory Press, Male Bonding II (1998), Uniforms (1998), and Beasts (1997).

He is an avid collector of vintage male nude photography, particularly images from the era of classic physique photography. Because of his numerous books on the subject, his broad knowledge of the field and his extensive library and research files, museums, gallery owners, auction houses, photography dealers and private collectors frequently seek his advice when acquiring images, conducting research or seeking attribution.

On Facebook, he is Britton Reed Massengill. On eBay, as a seller of vintage male photographs and ephemera, he is titanusgallery. He can be reached by E-mail at reedmass@gmail.com.