Speaker Series

Of Hepburn and Hunks: The Life and Times of George Platt Lynes

with Physique Pictorial Senior Editor

Friday, November 17, 2023

Lecture:

7 - 8:30 PM PST
Main Gallery
Free to Members and the Public, Donations Encouraged

As a photographer, George Platt Lynes didn't just capture Hollywood and the fashion world in his work. His work photographing nude men was a constant source of both pride and anxiety for the mid-century artist. Learn more about Lynes, as well as how his male nudes ended up in the archives of The Kinsey Institute, in the upcoming presentation "Of Hepburn and Hunks: The Life and Times of George Platt Lynes."

Continuing to fill its programming calendar after moving into its new headquarters, this month The Bob Mizer Foundation began its Speaker Series, a variety of lectures on subjects related to Bob Mizer, his contemporaries, and male physique photography. 

The inaugural event took place at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, at the Foundation’s headquarters in downtown San Francisco, 920 Larkin Street. The lecture, “The Art of the Male Nude in the Golden Age of Physique Photography (1940-1970),” was delivered by local historian John Fagundes. 

The Speaker Series takes place every other month, with screenings of classic Athletic Model Guild films taking place on alternating months as well. 

According to a description of Fagundes’ lecture, “Physique Photography flourished in post-WWII America, a repressive time for gay men. These photographs focused on the male body -- sensual, and increasingly erotic. Photographers challenged mainstream society and its morality with images of male desire -- made by gay men for gay men. The photographs evolved to reflect gay men's desire, the slow erosion of censorship as well as the rise of gay rights. No longer underground porn, but the history of male desire!”

Den Bell, founder and CEO of The Bob Mizer Foundation, says the first event in this series occurs at a time of exciting growth for the organization. “We’re excited to be able to add this series to our growing roster of programming, which will only keep expanding,” Bell says. “We hope the Speaker Series will offer a deep dive into topics of interest to members and nonmembers alike, while helping educate others on The Bob Mizer Foundation and all that we have to offer.”