Peter Berlin

Peter Berlin (born December 28, 1942 as Armin Peter Hagen Baron von Hoyningen - Huene in Litzmannstadt, German Reich) is a German male model, illustrator and, photographer who became known worldwide in the gay subculture in the 1970s.

The great-nephew of the influencial American fashion photographer George Hoyningen-Huene (chief photographer of VOGUE) spent his youth in Germany. As the scion of the impoverished German-Baltic noble Hoyningen-Huene family, Armin grew up in post-war Berlin. He worked as an illustrator, tailor and photographer. In his mid-twenties he worked for the popular German TV magazine 'V.I.P.-SCHAUKEL' and photographed internationally prominent super-stars such as Catherine Deneuve, Klaus Kinski, Alfred Hitchcock and Brigitte Bardot.

His passion was self-portraits (selfies) with specially hand-tailored erotic clothing. He also wore the extremely figure-hugging outfits while cruising at night in Berlin parks and train stations.

He emigrated to the United States in the early 1970s. In his adopted hometown of San Francisco, California, he instandly became one of the most famous eccentrics in the hippie district around Polk Street as the famous/infamous “Peter Berlin”.

Through his easily recognizable photographic selfie portraits, Peter Berlin, who actually is an introverted character and very shy of people, quickly managed to become a sex symbol for an entire generation of homosexuals.

He maintained close friendly relationships with well-known people, including Rudolf Nureyev. Important artists such as Andy Warhol, Tom of Finland and Robert Mapplethorpe used it as a template for drawings/photos.

Peter Berlin resides in San Francisco, California.