ROBERT MIKE HAMMER 22 $10 171 lbs chest 45

biceps 16.75. Trained or Pacific Coast Gyms before returning to his home in Excelsior Springs Missouri. Would like to be a gym Instructor. His Ideal is Clarence Ross. His training buddy is Harold Briceland who has also been photographed by AMG. This is photo XI-5-AP. Pages 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22 illustrate over a hundred extra poses of Mike. Send $1 for all 7 catalogs.

BOB PENNELL 21 519 5 179 lbs of Columbus Ohio. Though active in sports, skin diving etc he has done no active training, and has always had a husky build. He swims a great deal, loves

to be a beach comber, collects seashells by the seashore. This AMG photo XM3 AR, Pages 8, 9 and 10 illustrate many other photos of Baby more in levis and some in posing strap. (45 cents)

Letters from our Readers: A LOOK AT THE OPPOSITION. (In printing the excerpts below from an anonymous PP reader's letter we admit that he may actually be a source of embarrassment to those groups who are dedicated against physical culture and physique photography, just as we are often embarrassed by some of the proponents of the art who would force indiscriminate nude displays on everyone with no consideration of others feelings, or rights to unmolested privacy. Without malice, however, we do believe the writer of the letter does need guidance and needs to be unchained from tragic repressions which make life unbeautiful to him.)

"In my day I have attended a few gyms in New York City and have had it brought to my attention only too realistically that 90% of the types that are interested in physical culture are of the low order of mental, spiritual and emotional development, if not many times down-right degenerates. In New York they constitute generally the Porta Rican, Italian, Greek, and Jew whose backgrounds are of the lowest....They say a face is a good indication of the spiritual nature within..And what kind of faces do we see on most of the physically developed? Crooked mouths, sullen faces, inane expressions-not a face that should enhance the physical perfection of their bodies. And beautiful body or notthey cannot cover up the dissipation evident way beyond their years. A good example is the cover of your latest issue (Vol 8 # 4). John Tristram's bags under his eyes are outstanding for a boy 26 years old.. I am 42 years of age but have no bags but neither do I drink.."

(editor's note: Neither does John Tristram, but like most of us he squints his eyes in the sun)-the letter goes on "All physical culture magazines have inadvertently added to the destruction of the youth of this country, for they were able to tempt the young to a lust for the physical before the young were able to evaluate the proportion of their lives that should be given over to the physical. Better a weak body, with a cognizance of the reality around one, than a strong body running amuck...... Why is it that only the callow youth are shown in the picture magazines, except for the professionals who make a living on the young suckers? Because as a man approaches his

(continued across the page--page 9)

(continuation of "A LOOK AT THE OPPOSITION")

30's he begins to realize what life is really about and it does not consist of standing by swimming pools..... And so I agree with the people who want to act against your pictorial magazines....For I know from inside information as well as you do, that much, too much, has... sexual overtones. I know people of different age levels up to my own and over, and yet among my normal acquaintances and friends I see no desire to wrestle with each other, to stand around pools nearly naked. And most of these physically crazed people lead abnormal lives. They are not married, do not mix among various types of people, but live among the odd set, and in very few cases are they successful people with careers." The letter is unsigned, but is postmarked New York City.

Editor's note: Our anonymous letter writer may indeed speak from his own experience though his "findings" bear little relation to the facts. As many athletes are normal (or shall we say conventional) as non-athletes. We feel the letter-writer may have a problem similar to that of the minister in the Sommerset-Maughm story "Rain". He has presented his views so eloquently that even though we believe him to be quite wrong, we felt that publishing his letter would prove of interest to many of our readers.

COMPLIMENTS FOR PP.

We don't print many of the boquets to PP though we appreciate them very much, and we love to sit back privately and gloat over them. For every brickbat we get there are hundreds of friendly letters filled with praise and helpful suggestions. It would seem conceited to us to print these as do some other books, because if you didnt like our book, no amount of praise from others would change

your opinion. We are also aware on the other hand that there may be many who don't like us who just don't think it's worth the effort to write. PLEASE DO WRITE US WHENEVER YOU GET THE URGE--whether it's to compliment us on a job well done, chew us out for any of the hundreds of errors we are constantly making, or perhaps just to pass along a bit of interesting information. Thanks.