Jun
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In Print: Vintage Male Beefcake in “Kris”
June 2, 2008 | 5 Comments
[Edits 6:20 pm.] In Print: Constant Readers know I’m dedicated to chronicling the history of gay adult entertainment, and I take the chance to promote books and projects that preserve the history of this crazy biz whenever I can. Thus, you should know about Kris: The Physique Photography of Chuck Renslow (Nazca Plains) (click here for its Amazon entry) a new photobook drawing from the famed Kris Studios archives, edited and with an introduction by Joseph W. Bean. Although the modern gay porn biz is considered to have begun roughly 40 years ago with BOYS IN THE SAND, the actual roots of this industry stretch back another three decades to the male physique pictorial photography and loops of the 1940s and ’50s. Kris Studio, founded in 1951, was a pioneer of the genre. Mr. Renslow was famous for putting his models into posing straps, and would later face charges of obscenity and all manner of harassment. The entire Kris Studios body of work was the foundation of the Leather Archives and Museum in Chicago in 1991, and Mr. Renslow was a Grabby Awards “Wall of Fame” recipient in 2002 (GAYVN Awards Hall of Fame committee…are you listening?) Click here for a YouTube clip of Mr. Renslow receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from Mr. Leatherman Toronto in November 2006.
Comments
5 Comments so far
I’d actually never heard of him until now. Seems like Bob Mizer of AMG gets all the glory for being the pioneer in this field, when Renslow’s saga sounds very similar.
I see dead people…
A blast from the past!
A blast from the past!
Pay no attention to these noobies.
Chuck Renslow is the founder of International Mr. Leather Contest, going 30 years strong.
Without guys like him. We’ll never know how the leather craze became accepted by Gay men like us.