About

J.C. Leyendecker art. Arrow Collar advert.

I am currently writing a horror/historical novel set in the Victorian and Edwardian underworld of Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

While doing research I fell in love with collecting cartes de visite (CDVs), tintypes, cabinet cards, postcards, real photo postcards (RPPCs) and early candids from the 1910s to 40s. The gents and boys of my collection began as inspiration material for my characters, and then my enthusiasm grew to biblical proportions…

Gentlemen of those eras deserve their exclusive space on the web ran with the touch of a lady! The keywords for this blog are handsome, menswear, funny, brave, romantic and bad boys.

While my blog most always features handsome gents, I also collect photogenic couples, teens and boys and other miscellaneous photographs of the eras I find funny, enlightening or gangsterish. I also own most photographs. The ones I do not own are not watermarked -simple.

If you’re a fan of J.C. Leyendecker’s male aesthetic, you will most likely appreciate this blog. If you like the old-timey gangster look or the men’s fashion of those eras, you will find something for your eyes too. I’ve been known to buy a photo because of the style of pocket flap on the gent’s trousers…

I ask that you do not use the watermarked photographs from my collection on your blog/site unless you give credit with a direct link to my blog.

I scanned the photographs in this collection and digitally enhanced them for your enjoyment. I would like the content of my blog to remain unique. However I don’t mind my visitors sharing my posts on Tumblr or other social networks if the link remains and the URL watermark stays.

I’m not a fanatic with the state of the photographs I collect, being more interested in the subjects themselves. As said before, I digitally retouch to correct stains or tears.

With this said, enjoy! Drop me a line if you’d like to contact me privately. It may be a little while before I answer.

C.E. Ryan

If you would like to contribute a photograph you own or you’d just like to message me, contact me on the following form: