Beemer Memory 27: Jim Stewart ~ photograher & friend

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Styrous® - 1978 

photo by Jim Stewart

Today, October 18, is the birthday of my friend, Jim Stewart, who  documented the leather scene in San Francisco during the late seventies and into the eighties with his intimate and insightful images. I was fortunate to have been one of his models for his photo shoots and was in various events and performances he photographed (links below).          

I will never forget the times we worked together on his shoots; actually, it was not work, it was a joy to participate in his vision and passion!    

 

He reveled in life and I loved the hours we shared viewing films, attending parties and living to the fullest. I celebrate his presence in my life.       

 

Jim died from pneumonia on October 15, 2018, at his home in Ludington, Michigan.     

           

              

         

Viewfinder links:        

         

Beemer Memories       

Jim Stewart articles/mentions

      

Net links:        

           

The Bilerico Project ~ Jim Stewart: SoMa Survivor      

         

        

        

        

You are profoundly missed, Jim!

        

        

        

        

Styrous® ~ Sunday, October 18, 2020      

        

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Beemer Memory 4 ~ Leatherneck bar, San Francisco, 1977

The Leatherneck bar logo

The Leatherneck bar opened in 1976 on 11th and Folsom and was owned by Allan Lowery. It was south of Market Street in the area now called SOMA before it was known as SOMA. Previously, It was only referred to as south of Market or south of The Slot. The Slot referred to the slot along Market that held the cables that drew the cable cars. The cars and the slot had disappeared decades earlier but the name stuck.

As part of promotions for the bar, I did a series of dance performances in 1977-78. At one point I remember discussing the idea of dragging my Beemer into the bar for one of these performances. We may have done it, however, I have no recollection of actually doing it. It could have happened, though, because it was a wild and crazy time and we did stuff like that (see Disco Daze link below).

dancing at the Leatherneck bar circa 1977

photo by Jim Stewart

The amazing cast of characters who frequented the bar was right out of some kind of cheap pulp novel.  Jack Fritcher wrote about it in one of his series of articles about Drummer Magazine (The Leatherneck: the Ultimate Bar of the Seventies). The article features photos by Jim Stewart. I modeled for several articles in Drummer Magazine. Drummer was published from 1975 to 1999.

Photographer, Jim Stewart wrote about the Leatherneck Bar in his book, Folsom Street Blues: A Memoir of 1970s. I have been mentioned in it.

I have the original series of four posters for which I modeled for the Leatherneck which I'll post at some point.

What an incredible time in my life as well as the history of San Francisco it was.  Everything was open, free and rich with possibilities.

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20,000 vinyl LPs 4: The Skatt Brothers: Disco Daze

Folsom Street Blues: A Memoir of 1970s. is available at Amazon.

Styrous® ~ Monday, May 6, 2013

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