RARE Vintage 1979 Poster INTERNATIONAL MR LEATHER (1) Etienne
Item History & Price
RARE! Original vintage 1979 poster INTERNATIONAL MR LEATHER (#1) Etienne
In 1958, Chuck Renslow (August 26, 1929 – June 29, 2017) and his friends had an affinity for leather that was too much for a Chicago gay bar called Omar’s. Tossed out of Omars, Renslow decided to open his own nightspot, the Gold Coast Bar, the country’s first leather bar.
Renslow was an openly gay American businessperson, known for pioneering homoerotic photography in the mid-20th-cen...tury US, and establishing many landmarks of late-20th-century gay male culture, especially in the Chicago area.
Among his occupations Renslow was a photographer, and in 1952 met Dom Orejudos on Chicago's Oak Street Beach, asking him to model for him. They founded Kris Studios, a male physique photography studio that took photos for gay magazines they published — the physique digests Triumph, Rawhide, and Mars. Orejudos was an erotica artist better known by his pen names Etienne and Stephen. They became romantic partners.
In 1958, Renslow and Orejudos bought bought Gold Coast Show Lounge, and transformed it into the country's first gay leather bar, called the Gold Coast bar, with a uniform/western/leather dress code, a backroom, and homoerotic murals by Orejudos on the walls.
In the 1970s, the Gold Coast started the Mr. Gold Coast bar contest, the forerunner of the International Mr. Leather competition. The Mr. Gold Coast contest became so popular it exceeded the pub's capacity, and in 1979, Renslow and Orejudos moved the event to a larger venue, upon which the title was changed to International Mr. Leather. Today, IML has evolved into a multi-day event featuring fetish workshops, speakers, dance party, and leather market.
This is an original vintage poster used to promote The 1979 International Mr Leather Contest. The poster mentions the city location and dates, but not the actual venue where IML ’79 was held — and ‘for more information’ instructs to contact The Gold Coast at 519 North Clark Street.
The poster is in very good condition for it’s age, with some paper crinkle in the bottom right corner. Both the top and bottom of the poster have some jagged edge, where it appears to have been trimmed with scissors. The poster’s image and text ink areas are unaffected.
IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT SHIPPING: posters will be rolled and shipped in a mailing tube
SIZE: approx 11 3/8 Wide X 16 3/4 Tall
CONDITION: Very good condition for it's age and rarity. Top and bottom rough edge from being trimmed; does not detract for framing etc. Ink area of poster is very good shape. Sold as is. Please review all photos for visual information about condition.
ABOUT THE SELLER: Thank you for checking out my listing. I'm Brandon and after a six-year break I am back selling on eBay. Since February 2000, I have sold well over 1, 000 auction items with 950+ ratings. If you are a past customer, reach out and say hello! I still offer the same exceptional client-focused experience; please take a moment to review my past feedback. Check my other listings as I will be posting lots of fun, quirky stuff; mostly paper products, magazines, digests, ephemera, some photography, and a few items. A large focus on items of interest to LGBT collectors. Happy treasure hunting! MY PROMISE: I stand behind what I sell. Happy customers are repeat customers.
In 1958, Chuck Renslow (August 26, 1929 – June 29, 2017) and his friends had an affinity for leather that was too much for a Chicago gay bar called Omar’s. Tossed out of Omars, Renslow decided to open his own nightspot, the Gold Coast Bar, the country’s first leather bar.
Renslow was an openly gay American businessperson, known for pioneering homoerotic photography in the mid-20th-cen...tury US, and establishing many landmarks of late-20th-century gay male culture, especially in the Chicago area.
Among his occupations Renslow was a photographer, and in 1952 met Dom Orejudos on Chicago's Oak Street Beach, asking him to model for him. They founded Kris Studios, a male physique photography studio that took photos for gay magazines they published — the physique digests Triumph, Rawhide, and Mars. Orejudos was an erotica artist better known by his pen names Etienne and Stephen. They became romantic partners.
In 1958, Renslow and Orejudos bought bought Gold Coast Show Lounge, and transformed it into the country's first gay leather bar, called the Gold Coast bar, with a uniform/western/leather dress code, a backroom, and homoerotic murals by Orejudos on the walls.
In the 1970s, the Gold Coast started the Mr. Gold Coast bar contest, the forerunner of the International Mr. Leather competition. The Mr. Gold Coast contest became so popular it exceeded the pub's capacity, and in 1979, Renslow and Orejudos moved the event to a larger venue, upon which the title was changed to International Mr. Leather. Today, IML has evolved into a multi-day event featuring fetish workshops, speakers, dance party, and leather market.
This is an original vintage poster used to promote The 1979 International Mr Leather Contest. The poster mentions the city location and dates, but not the actual venue where IML ’79 was held — and ‘for more information’ instructs to contact The Gold Coast at 519 North Clark Street.
The poster is in very good condition for it’s age, with some paper crinkle in the bottom right corner. Both the top and bottom of the poster have some jagged edge, where it appears to have been trimmed with scissors. The poster’s image and text ink areas are unaffected.
IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT SHIPPING: posters will be rolled and shipped in a mailing tube
SIZE: approx 11 3/8 Wide X 16 3/4 Tall
CONDITION: Very good condition for it's age and rarity. Top and bottom rough edge from being trimmed; does not detract for framing etc. Ink area of poster is very good shape. Sold as is. Please review all photos for visual information about condition.
ABOUT THE SELLER: Thank you for checking out my listing. I'm Brandon and after a six-year break I am back selling on eBay. Since February 2000, I have sold well over 1, 000 auction items with 950+ ratings. If you are a past customer, reach out and say hello! I still offer the same exceptional client-focused experience; please take a moment to review my past feedback. Check my other listings as I will be posting lots of fun, quirky stuff; mostly paper products, magazines, digests, ephemera, some photography, and a few items. A large focus on items of interest to LGBT collectors. Happy treasure hunting! MY PROMISE: I stand behind what I sell. Happy customers are repeat customers.
