Santa Monica Boulevard

[Rod Hagen]

On 9/10/2023 at 7:26 AM, Lucky said:

Photographer Rick Castro is featured in this LA Times article today about his Santa Monica Boulevard photography of male hustlers:

Cruising Santa Monica Boulevard with the fetish photographer who shot L.A.'s male hustlers

WWW.LATIMES.COM

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Rick Castro's fetish photography has gone mainstream. A new book, 'S/M Blvd,' collects photos from another fringe — Santa Monica Boulevard's long-gone male hustlers

 

A friend sent me the article when it came out last wk.  I want to buy the book, but it's like $40, although I shouldn't balk at that, photo books are always expensive.  I may buy it.  I might buy it.

Edited September 18, 2023 by Rod Hagen

[Rod Hagen]

On 7/30/2023 at 6:05 PM, coriolis888 said:

Again mentioning Bob Miser, attached is a link to many of the pictures of naked young guys that got the American government involved (U.S. Postoffice, FBI and others to arrest and harass Miser.  By today's standands, the photos are super mild.

https://www.wmagazine.com/gallery/bob-mizer-david-hockney-beefcake-pictures

Notice that David Hockney is mentioned in the link.  Incredibly, Hockney is still alive and some of his painting of nude men sell for more than one million dollars.  Many of Hockney (clothed) paintings are in numerous art museums around the U.S.

I have probably a 10 hours of video from the Miser films.  Love having them on my computer in the background while I'm doing other things.

[Pd1_jap]

1 hour ago, Rod Hagen said:

A friend sent me the article when it came out last wk.  I want to buy the book, but it's like $40, although I shouldn't balk at that, photo books are always expensive.  I may buy it.  I might buy it.

I bought a copy and he signed it for me. It's a very high quality print so $40 is actually quite cheap IMHO. 🤪

[pubic_assistance]

9 hours ago, Rod Hagen said:

A friend sent me the article when it came out last wk.  I want to buy the book, but it's like $40, although I shouldn't balk at that, photo books are always expensive.  I may buy it.  I might buy it.

That's actually rather cheap.

Nearly all my art / photography books were $60 to $80 and that was years ago.

[Danny-Darko]

On 9/10/2023 at 10:26 AM, Lucky said:

Photographer Rick Castro is featured in this LA Times article today about his Santa Monica Boulevard photography of male hustlers:

Cruising Santa Monica Boulevard with the fetish photographer who shot L.A.'s male hustlers

WWW.LATIMES.COM

---

Rick Castro's fetish photography has gone mainstream. A new book, 'S/M Blvd,' collects photos from another fringe — Santa Monica Boulevard's long-gone male hustlers

I remember seeing him talking about his work with "rough trade" in a gay documentary made about Hustling/Escorting. Several interviewed were with well-known escorts back in the day and some were common faces in the SF Castro area at the time.  I don't remember the title, but I think it came out in the early 2000's. I thought it was interesting at the time since I used to like to hire.   

Edited September 19, 2023 by Danny-Darko

[tbinsocal]

I wish there was film or photos of me servicing some of the drag queens on Western, 45 years ago.  

Edited September 29, 2023 by tbinsocal

[Milo Janus]

All this talk about the Gold Cup and cruising around Selma reminded me of a news report if you can call it that, back in the late 1970s.  A news show in L.A. called Metro News Metro News came on at 11:30 after the real news.  Anyway, they reported on the hustlers in Hollywood on Selma. Actor Michael Kearns, from L.A. Tool and Die fame among other acting gigs played a hustler being interviewed.  He subsequently stood on the corner of Selma and Highland and then got in a car.  I've always remembered this, and him.

[+ J. S.]

Anyone know of places like this that still exist in other cities?  Something exciting about the instant gratification as compared to searching profiles on rent.men.

[wsc]

On 2/4/2023 at 8:42 PM, coriolis888 said:

Considering that Rod introduced information about Selma Avenue and the Gold Cup, let us give credit to the man who had a small stake in the Gold Cup and the will power and lack of fear of the FBI and the postal authorities to mail naked photos of men to buyers who lived in various parts of the world.   

Bob Mizer was a pioneer in his day by bringing gay pornography to a point of large volume.  He also had a magazine with gay pornography which caused him a lot of hassle with the police and various agencies.  

We all owe at least a little gratitude to Bob Mizer through his perseverance that would not stop despite being jailed once and prosecuted twice.  

Here is a little article about Bob Mizer that might be interesting if you are a history buff and are interested in how many facets of gay life began.    

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Mizer#:~:text=Robert Henry Mizer (March 27,in the mid 20th century.&text=Hailey%2C Idaho%2C U.S.&text=Los Angeles%2C California%2C U.S.

I don't know if it was one of Mr. Mizer's publications, but a magazine of that type was one of my first awakening to my interest in men. The supermarket my mother and I went to every Friday had two magazine racks on one wall. It included all the favorites of the day, like Look and Life and the Saturday Evening Post. But it also had some more daring offerings, such as Police Gazette and so on. While Mom shopped, I perused the magazines. And on one visit I found a men's physique magazine, stuffed in behind other magazines. It had pictures of nearly naked men (in speedos, or even scantier), all oiled up and playing with swords. I was too dense at that age (about 10 or 12) to appreciate the symbolism of the swords, but I really appreciated the lean muscles of these beautiful, glistening men. Another set of pics showed men being tied up or lassoed and pulled away by other men.

Something told me I probably shouldn't be looking at such a magazine, so I found a bigger one (like Life) and used it to camouflage the skin mag by sticking it inside the bigger one. I also knew I couldn't buy it and certainly couldn't ask my mother to buy it for me. I remember wondering if I could manage to steal it but can't remember if I ever tried. Probably chickened out from that plan.  But the memory of that magazine and those handsome shiny men has stayed with over all these years. And I've realized it proved me right - I really do like men!