Sunday, August 23, 2015

Bob Mizer's 700,000 35mm Transparencies Need You

If you love male models in the fashion and advertising world, now's your chance to help preserve the archives of the man who nearly all by himself invented the concept of male model in 1940's Los Angeles, California.

As you can read in this interview on the blog, Bob Mizer of the Athletic Model Guild was a prolific photographer and filmmaker. In his lifetime, he produced over 1,000,000 negatives, slides, prints and films.
 
Original slide during the sorting process.

Dennis Bell, the current owner of the Athletic Model Guild and founder of the Bob Mizer Foundation (a 501(c)3 non-profit), is cataloging and archiving every single image and will eventually make the entire collection available for viewing by the general public.

His current Kickstarter campaign is to help finance the proper storage of Mizer's 700,000 35mm transparencies. Yes, you read that right: 700,000.

This is a small portion of Bob Mizer's estate, prior to its rescue.
Money raised by the Foundation pays only for supplies, such as the archival sleeves for negatives and transparencies. Volunteers and interns provide the necessary labor.

Some of Mizer's estate now in protective storage.
If you're a fan of vintage physique photography and/or classic Americana, now's your chance to give what you can to help preserve this precious historical treasure. Because the Bob Mizer Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit, your donation is tax-deductible.

Each transparency is sorted, inserted into sleeves cataloged, photographed and placed into protected storage.
For more information about Bob Mizer, please see the Foundation's website.

Production still from "Why the Wooden Indian Wouldn't." Eddie Scott & Phil Morrison. Los Angeles, 1969.
You can help support the Bob Mizer Foundation by donating directly at its Kickstarter campaign and website. There you will find more information on Bob Mizer, the Athletic Model Guild and the Foundation, including its mailing address for your donations and updates on gallery shows, screenings and lectures.

Monday, August 17, 2015

Sandy Beach Road in Vallejo, California

My partner, Phil, and I recently attended a party in Vallejo, California on Sandy Beach Road, which is mostly a long dirt trail. All of the waterfront homes there are built over the Napa River.

The mailman won't hike Sandy Beach Road, so the mailboxes came to him.

We were amazed to see playing at the house party this short film uploaded to YouTube by the GLBT History Society. It was created in 1947 by an amateur filmmaker. The houses are better constructed today, but this is very much how Sandy Beach Road remains some seventy years later.


Sunday, August 9, 2015

SENSE8 Renewed for a Second Season

Today I was thrilled to find out the Netflix original series, Sense8, has been renewed for a second season.

When you jump to this post on the blog, you can read my review of Sense8. I love the series. My review is the most Twitter-engaged blog post I've made to date.



Be sure to follow the series on Twitter for updates from the cast and creators.