Homoerotic Archaeology: In Touch (July 1991), Part One

Friday, July 19, 2024

In Touch (July 1991), Part One

Born in March of 1922, Robert Henry Mizer, also known as Bob Mizer, established the Athletic Model Guild in 1945, where he launched a renowned career photographing male models and publishing his work in his magazine Physique Pictorial. Like many of his peers, including Bruce of Los Angeles and Lon of New York, Mizer faced many legal battles over the content of his photographs, particularly in an era when homosexuality and pornography were heavily outlawed. Despite these issues, Mizer managed to solidify himself as a preeminent photographer of the male physique, with actors like Dennis Cole, Glenn Corbett, and Tab Hunter appearing before his camera. Included in this July 1991 issue of In Touch (which had been broken into two parts) is one of Mizer’s models: Dave Shaughnessy. Also included in this issue are photos of models Mark Andrews and Leo Ford.

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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.