‘The Black Series’ was part of a photo shoot in 1974 meant to be for a product made by a company called “Bullworker”. Although the business deal did not go ahead, the photos were archived and soon they are to be made available for public purchase.

It was a hot and humid Autumn day in April 1974 when Robert Nailon set up in his studio located in the suburb of Kingsford, Sydney, Australia.

The photo-shoot was put together in a hurry as the company ‘Bullworker’ which is still around today, (http://www.bowproducts.com/) hadn’t given Arnold who had agreed to be their subject, much notice. Bullworker told Arnold to take the photos first and then work out what he wanted to be paid for them. 

Robert purchased a large roll of white paper and a large roll of black paper for the back drops (which he still has in storage today) as well as photographic lights (Phillips photofloods). He took about 40 photographs of Arnold Schwarzenegger with the Bullworker company on a white backdrop as well as some photographs for himself on a black backdrop. Robert could not take as many photographs as he would have liked as Arnold was not in the mood for a photo shoot that day, due to the extreme humidity.  

After Arnold finished the shoot with Robert he asked Robert to hold onto the photos and not release them without his permission. The next day Robert showed Arnold the finished product. Arnold was not too happy with the way the photographs taken against the white backdrop had turned out, but he really liked the photographs taken using the black backdrop. A day or two after the shoot, Arnold and the representatives from Bullworker began talking business. Arnold knew what he was worth; he has always been a top notch business man who doesn’t lose in a business deal. Because they were to be used for promoting a product, Arnold wanted a large amount of money for the photos, however, the Bullworker company told Arnold his price was too high for them and requested he lower it. Arnold then offered them a $1 discount and he was not joking. Realising Arnold was serious, the Bullworker company walked away from the negotiation table.  Until this day no one has ever seen the ‘Bullworker Series’ and they will not be released without Arnold’s Express Verbal permission to Robert. By Scott Nailon