Homoerotic Archaeology: Inches (September 2003), Part Three

Friday, September 15, 2023

Inches (September 2003), Part Three

Born in 1941, Robert Richards solidified himself as a major figure painter and sketch artist. After moving to New York, he became a fashion illustrator, working with Clairol, L’Oreal, and Revlon to produce beauty illustrations. As his talents and reputation increased, he designed posters for Broadway shows, including Noel Coward’s Present Laughter, and album covers for singers such as Lena Horne and Bob Marley. In the realm of homoeroticism, he made a name for himself producing erotic illustrations. This September 2003 issue of Inches (which has been broken into three parts) features an article on Richards’ exhibition “Gods of Erotica” at the Leslie-Lohman Gay Art Foundation in New York, where the artist showcased drawings of famous gay pornographic performers like Peter Berlin and Al Parker. Contained in the final third (see the second third here) are photospreads of models Scott Cruise, Sebastien, and ZY.

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What is Homoerotic Archaeology?

In 2016, I discovered several discarded boxes at an estate sale. Under their flimsy flaps were hundreds of well-worn issues of homoerotic magazines from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. I purchased them out of mild intrigue and, as I perused their pages, I was startled to realize that something commonly disregarded as pornographic smut earnestly chronicled the evolution of gay culture: the social and sexual liberation of the 1970s, the crushing devastation from AIDS during the 1980s, and the gradual strengthening of the community in the 1990s. As a gay man, I was touched by the subtle narrative these publications told. As a historian, I was motivated to digitally preserve their content. And, as an educator, I was driven to create a platform to share that information freely with others interested in the progression of gay society. Homoerotic Archaeology is that venue. Here you will find the advertisements, articles, short stories, and (of course) pictures found in these magazines lovingly preserved and presented for future generations of gay men to enjoy and study.

Why Preserve Homoerotica?

As early as the 1970s, scholars such as June Rook have stressed the need to preserve homosexual history in an effort to combat repression and establish a cultural background for future generations. Much of the preservation process admirably focuses on the substantial works of homosexual artists and thinkers; however, it sadly ignores other elements quintessential to the community’s history, particularly homoerotica. Although frequently labeled obscene filth, homoerotica has, just like the significant creations of artists and thinkers, been a prevalent part of the group’s culture and has played an integral role in shaping identities and perceptions (consider how influential Tom of Finland’s hypermasculinity has been in molding the body ideals of modern gay men). Due to this factor, the conservation of homoerotica is just as essential as the preservation of major artistic and theoretical homosexual works.