In an unprecedented display of support for the preservation of LGBTQ history, the Bob Mizer Foundation recently concluded a Kickstarter campaign with staggering success, raising over $40,000—far exceeding its original goal of $11,000. This substantial sum is earmarked for a project of significant cultural heritage: digitizing the color films of Bob Mizer, a pioneering figure whose work in photography and filmmaking during the mid-20th century bravely explored themes of homoeroticism against the backdrop of a conservative society.
Mizer, whose career spanned several decades, left behind a vast archive of around 3,000 titles, encapsulating an era of bold artistic expression and the gradual emergence of queer visibility. The funds will facilitate the acquisition of state-of-the-art scanning equipment and supplies necessary to digitize 150 of these films, a move that Den Bell, the foundation’s founder and CEO, believes is timely. “With an expanding events calendar and the introduction of bimonthly film screenings, digitizing Mizer’s work allows us to share these important films with a wider audience, treating them with the care they deserve,” Bell stated, emphasizing the foundation’s commitment to both preserving and promoting Mizer’s legacy.
Community Engagement and Rewards
The Kickstarter campaign not only highlighted the enduring relevance of Mizer’s work but also tapped into a community of supporters keen to see his contributions to queer art history recognized and preserved. Contributors to the campaign are rewarded with exclusive access to the foundation’s streaming site, subscriptions to Physique Pictorial—a seminal publication by Mizer that ran for four decades—and other memorabilia, including a copy of Mizer’s 1957 1,000 Model Directory and rare photo prints.
Securing a Legacy
The Bob Mizer Foundation Inc., established in 2010 by Bell, himself a noted photographer, stands as a testament to the ongoing effort to support and preserve the works of artists who, like Mizer, pushed the boundaries of acceptability to explore the complexities of identity and desire. Through initiatives like this successful fundraising campaign, the foundation not only secures the physical legacy of Mizer’s work but also reinforces the importance of LGBTQ history in the broader narrative of artistic and cultural evolution.