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RICK DION STUDIOS

Rick Dion was a photographer who produced erotic and physique photographs of men in the 1960s and 1970s. He was based in Portland, Oregon and his studio was called Rick Dion Studios. Some of his photos are part of the Erotic and Physique Studios Photography Collection at ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives.

Some of his work can also be found at https://rmc.library.cornell.edu/EAD/htmldocs/RMM07771_old.html. This collection was part of photographer Harry H. Weintraub who collected gay-related photography and historical documentation from the 1850-2010. He donated his collection to the Cornell University Library in 2011. “Among his collection, there are some photographs by a Rick Dion who was active in the 1960s and who specilized in male nude portraits.

Per website: worthpoint.com Rick Dion of Portland, Oregon, was one of the pioneers of full-frontal male erotica. Rick and other photographers, were responsible for the Golden Age of Beefcake in the late 60's and early 70's. These photos were taken by Rick in 1967/68 and many of these models were included in the 1968 J. Brian magazine RICK'S TRICKS which featured Rick Dion's photographs exclusively. This is a beautiful 5 x 7 color photo of a Rick Dion model, PETE SHEA. Pete was a handsome and favorite model of Rick Dion's. He was a hard-working farm boy from Oregon and found it easy to pose and show off his body to Rick’s cameras. Many of his photos are in the 1968 magazine Rick's Tricks. The photo is in MINT condition and was found in an abandoned storage locker along with gay books, magazines, and other Rick Dion photos dating from the mid to late 1960s. The photo is stamped RICK DION STUDIOS or DION ENTERPRISES, with his address, on the back. 

During a visit to Cornell Univesity in upstate New York, Don Horn visited the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections where the papers of H Lynny Womak papers reside. There he found correspondence from Rick Studios.

Per a Twitter/X account called creatureblacklagoon which specializes in Vintage Clothed and Naked Guys from the 20th Century. NSFW, 18+ Only. This account has several photos of three other models that are said to have modeled for Rick Dion Studios. Not much else is known about Rick Dion or Rick Dion Studios. More information and research is needed.

THE MODELS OF RICK DION STUDIOS - DION STUDIOS

MODEL # 1 Via Pete Shea - AdonisMale various photos of Pete Shea.

Handsome mid-to late-60s model photographed by Rick Dion Studio in Portland, OR. What a great body on this guy! UPDATE: Pete also posed for Studio Apollo under the name Peter Machonis. [He also used that name at Rick Dion Studios]

Studio card indicating various models.