Exhibition
January 8 - February 28, 2026
Opening Reception:
January 8, 2026
6 - 8 PM PST
Main Gallery
Free to Members and the Public
Free to Members and the Public
Dave Martin was a San Francisco physique photographer who was arrested and imprisoned in 1955 for mailing images of male bodies, yet continued his groundbreaking work documenting gay visual culture against iconic Bay Area landscapes during an era of systematic governmental persecution.
Dave Martin (1923–2014) was a pioneering San Francisco physique photographer who transformed male body photography into an art form that challenged Cold War-era conventions. After moving to San Francisco in 1948, he established his studio at 3585 Sacramento Street, branding himself as "Dave of San Francisco." Martin's work was distinguished by his use of iconic San Francisco landmarks, particularly the Golden Gate Bridge, as backdrops for his models—firefighters, athletes, and servicemen who embodied traditional masculinity.
In April 1955, federal authorities arrested and imprisoned Martin for mailing a photograph of Alameda fireman Norm Tousely, deemed obscene under postal laws used to persecute gay imagery. Despite prosecution, Martin continued his work, preserving vital visual documentation of mid-century gay culture during intense governmental repression. In 2014, he printed and donated a collection of his photographs to Stanford University, representing an important record of artistic courage and LGBTQ+ resistance in postwar America.