---
description: A new self-published book by Justin James Muir explores some of the gnarliest beards in America.
title: The Mane Subject: A Book of Beards
image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltceb16d235391ef17/69879efbcd6848bafa09b9ee/12-img_0807.jpg?branch=production&width=1440&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9
---
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# The Mane Subject: A Book of Beards
by
[Vaughn Wallace](/author/vaughn-wallace/)
## Vaughn Wallace
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Jun 29, 2012 8:00 AM CUT
Sam Basl, Auburn, N.Y.
Sam Basl, Auburn, N.Y.Justin James Muir
by
[Vaughn Wallace](/author/vaughn-wallace/)
## Vaughn Wallace
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Jun 29, 2012 8:00 AM CUT
When [Justin James Muir](http://www.justinjamesmuir.com/#/ "undefined") moved to West Chester, Pa. a little over two years ago, he found himself in a hairy situation—the beards per capita ratio seemed unusually high. The phenomenon puzzled Muir, so as he settled into life in his new home, the art director did what came naturally: he began photographing the beards of his new friends. And then he photographed the bearded friends of these friends. And then the friends of their friends found their way in front of Muir’s lens too. Pretty soon, he had enough portraits to publish a book.
[_A Book of Beards_](http://www.bookofbeards.com/#home "undefined"), published earlier this month, features 125 pages of whiskered men, photographed by Muir at beard competitions, dive bars and off-the-beaten-path hideaways across the East Coast.
“I would literally look for beards everywhere I went. I would meet someone on the street and try to set up a time to shoot them or have them come to me,” Muir told TIME. He even had cards that he would give to the the well-bearded men he would encounter.
“There was no real criteria,” he explained. “It just had to be a big beard and look cool. You don’t see people like this every day—a lot of them are kinda tucked away in nooks that most people will never go to.”
Publishing _A Book of Beards_ himself, Muir decided that all proceeds from the first press run would help Mike Cummings, a bearded friend suffering from testicular cancer without health insurance. Mike, featured on the cover of the book, also contributed a short written vignette in the book, one of 18 pieces sprinkled throughout the portraits. Muir plans to donate the funds from subsequent press runs to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
_For more information about_ A Book of Beards _or to purchase a copy_, _visit_ [_BookofBeards.com_](http://bookofbeards.com/ "undefined")_._
Rick Angood, Coudersport, Pa. Justin James Muir
Brian Quein, Charlotte, N.C. Justin James Muir
Jon Bulette, Brooklyn, N.Y. Justin James Muir
Jonathan Rice, Plantation, Fla. Winner of the 2011 National Beard and Mustache competition Justin James Muir
Paul Stanley, West Chester, Pa. "I lost my scissors in '76," said Stanley when Muir asked him for a portrait while delivering mail. Justin James Muir
Rodney Smith, Alexandria, Va. Justin James Muir
Erral B. Douthat, Kennett Square, Pa. Justin James Muir
Troy Gaerthe, Telford, Pa. Justin James Muir
Edwin Schander, Pasadena, Calif. Justin James Muir
Sam Basl, Auburn, N.Y. Justin James Muir
Bryan Nelson, Austin, Texas Justin James Muir
Myk O'Connor, Brooklyn, N.Y. "Grow whatever you can—whether it's a mustache, goatee, or hell, even a dreadlock beard. Because for me, facial hair is a natural form of expression. It's one thing that makes our faces unique. So wear it proud, and fight beard discrimination in the work place!" Justin James Muir
Douglas Renfro, Anchorage, Alaska Justin James Muir
Neil Moherman, Jeromesville, Ohio Justin James Muir
Ryan Dunn, West Chester, Pa. Justin James Muir
Matt Bischoff, Cincinnati, Ohio "I have a tragic beard story. I was rappelling one time off of a rock overhang..." Justin James Muir
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