Will McBride

(American, 1931–2015)

Will McBride was an American artist known for his black-and-white photographs documenting youth culture in postwar Germany. His work remains controversial for its frank and explicit depiction of sexuality, as evidenced in his Show Me! (1974) and Coming Of Age (1999) photobooks which were intended to educate children and adolescents about their developing bodies. Born on January 10, 1931 in St. Louis, MO, McBride studied privately with Norman Rockwell while attending the University of Vermont, before transferring to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and finishing his degree at Syracuse University in 1953. Serving in the Army brought him to Germany in the mid-1950s, after his tour of duty he settled in Berlin where he became fascinated with documenting the rapid rebuilding of West Germany and its effect on youth culture. Many consider McBride’s working method as a forerunner to the visceral self-documentation seen later in the photographs of Nan Goldin and Wolfgang Tillmans. Toward the end of his life, McBride switched his focus towards producing painting and sculpture. He died on January 29, 2015 in Berlin, Germany at the age of 84. Today, the artist’s work are held in the collections of the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Related Categories

Contemporary Art, Contemporary Realism, Photography

Related Artists

Robert Mapplethorpe, Irving Penn, Norman Rockwell, Garry Winogrand

Will McBride Artworks

Artworks for Sale &
Auction Results

Will McBride (742 results)
Coming of Age Portfolio (Complete with..., 1956–1978

Will McBride

Coming of Age Portfolio (Complete with..., 1956–1978

Sale Date: April 4, 2023

Auction Closed

Set aus 5 Arbeiten aus:

Will McBride

Set aus 5 Arbeiten aus: "Aufbruch in..., 1956–1963

Sale Date: December 8, 2022

Auction Closed

Sammlung aus 5 Arbeiten aus: Aufbruch..., 1956–1963

Will McBride

Sammlung aus 5 Arbeiten aus: Aufbruch..., 1956–1963

Sale Date: December 8, 2022

Auction Closed

Soho, 1993, 1993

Will McBride

Soho, 1993, 1993

Sale Date: December 12, 2022

Auction Closed

Freunde raufen in Jan's Zimmer, Berlin..., 1959

Will McBride

Freunde raufen in Jan's Zimmer, Berlin..., 1959

Sale Date: December 4, 2022

Auction Closed

2 Jungs mit Fahrrad, Florenz, 1957

Will McBride

2 Jungs mit Fahrrad, Florenz, 1957

Sale Date: December 4, 2022

Auction Closed

Kleiner Mann und Brandmauer, Berlin, 1957

Will McBride

Kleiner Mann und Brandmauer, Berlin, 1957

Sale Date: December 4, 2022

Auction Closed

Reinhard M., 1973

Will McBride

Reinhard M., 1973

Sale Date: December 7, 2022

Auction Closed

Mauerbau, 1961

Will McBride

Mauerbau, 1961

Sale Date: December 7, 2022

Auction Closed

Romy Schneider in Paris, 1964

Will McBride

Romy Schneider in Paris, 1964

Sale Date: December 7, 2022

Auction Closed

Will McBride

"Einer greift nach Seife und berührt Mike...., 1963

Sale Date: December 7, 2022

Auction Closed

Nun with Boys Interested in Weapons, Florence, 1957

Will McBride

Nun with Boys Interested in Weapons, Florence, 1957

Sale Date: November 23, 2022

Auction Closed

Singers from the

Will McBride

Singers from the "Hair" production, München..., 1968

Sale Date: October 28, 2022

Auction Closed

Barbara beim Windelwaschen, 1960

Will McBride

Barbara beim Windelwaschen, 1960

Sale Date: October 28, 2022

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Tobias Weichberger and Found Helmet, 1962–1963

Will McBride

Tobias Weichberger and Found Helmet, 1962–1963

Sale Date: October 12, 2022

Auction Closed

Portrait of Konrad Adenauer, 1964

Will McBride

Portrait of Konrad Adenauer, 1964

Sale Date: October 12, 2022

Auction Closed

Mike in the

Will McBride

Mike in the "Shower," Schule Schloss Salem,..., 1962

Sale Date: October 11, 2022

Auction Closed

Nach dem Licht schauen - Jungen beim..., 1963

Will McBride

Nach dem Licht schauen - Jungen beim..., 1963

Sale Date: June 8, 2022

Auction Closed

Romy Schneider in Paris, 1964

Will McBride

Romy Schneider in Paris, 1964

Sale Date: June 8, 2022

Auction Closed

Beim Morgen Duschen, Schule Schloß Salem, 1963

Will McBride

Beim Morgen Duschen, Schule Schloß Salem, 1963

Sale Date: June 8, 2022

Auction Closed

John F. Kennedy in the Paulskirche,..., 1963

Will McBride

John F. Kennedy in the Paulskirche,..., 1963

Sale Date: June 8, 2022

Auction Closed

Vice president Lyndon B. Johnson holding a..., 1961

Will McBride

Vice president Lyndon B. Johnson holding a..., 1961

Sale Date: June 8, 2022

Auction Closed

Reinhard H. mit Socke, Casoli, 1973

Will McBride

Reinhard H. mit Socke, Casoli, 1973

Sale Date: June 8, 2022

Auction Closed

Mike trinkt Milch beim Essen mit mir und..., 1963

Will McBride

Mike trinkt Milch beim Essen mit mir und..., 1963

Sale Date: June 2, 2022

Auction Closed

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