Leonard Chambers

Bob Mizer took this photo of Leonard Chambers.

 

Leonard Chambers

This is Leonard Chambers, a model whose life was taken in a very questionable 

LA area police operation in 1956.  Bob Mizer wrote a protest essay 

in Physique Pictorial, something almost unheard of at the time.

 

Leonard Chambers

Leonard Chambers was killed by the Los Angeles police in a 1956 incident that had some highly questionable actions by the cops.  So much so that Bob Mizer editorialized about it in the next edition of Physique Pictorial.  The photo above is by Bruce, and below we have Bob Mizer/AMG. 

In these trying times, we need to remember to be vigilant and militant.  We can't go back.

P.S.  Mr. Chambers isn't here just because of history.  He was a fine model.

 

Leonard

Fred Kovert and Leonard Chambers were both tragic figures of the post-war physique photography world.  Although he also worked for  Bruce and AMG, I think his best work was with Kovert.

 

Leonard

Kovert's cinematic background combined with a classical influence in this impressive photo of 

Leonard Chambers.  If you're not familiar with Mr. Chambers' tragic story, click his label.

 

Leonard Chambers (1929-1956), Part 1

This Physique Pictorial cover was the lead-in for an editorial piece published by 

Bob Mizer of AMG at a time when he knew the authorities were watching everything he did.  

Some of you young folks today probably can't know how unimaginably brave that act was.  

Rather than retell the story, I am going to post Bob Mizer's essay here unedited, and then move

 on to an homage for a great model whose life was stolen.  Please read on:

This issue of Physique Pictorial is dedicated to LEONARD CHAMBERS pictured here, who was SHOT AND KILLED by an off duty POLICEMAN who was in private hire at the time! See page 3. 

He continues on page 3 -- "WAS THE KILLING OF LEONARD CHAMBERS  BY TWO OFF-DUTY POLICEMEN "JUSTIFIABLE HOMICIDE"? Acting in the employment of a private bail bondsman, two Southern California policemen forced Leonard Chambers to get in their private car for allegedly failing to appear on some traffic charges. They testified that Leonard pulled a gun on them even though they had previously searched him and had him handcuffed. In desparate [sic] "self-defense" they shot him twice in the back of the head. Leonard of course didn't live to tell his side of the story. The coroner's jurors dutifully declared this murder "justifiable homicide."  

 

Who photographed Leonard first?

Leonard was killed in 1956, but we know his modeling work goes back at least to 1948 or 49 because all the frontal nudes of him were by Freddie Kovert who killed himself in May, 1949.  Leonard actually looks older in this Kovert photo than some of his work for AMG, so he might have begun even earlier with Bob Mizer.  I thought of doing a "whatever happened" to serie for today's material, but we all know what happened, and the only non-modeling background information I could find was a 1955 Los Angeles County marriage license for a guy with the same name and middle initial.  Probably him, but in all the various reports, I've never seen mention of any widow.

 

Leonard by Bruce

There was a story making the rounds of vintage physique collectors a few years ago which said that upon arrival in LA, Bruce Bellas got a license for a "legit" photo business and promptly borrowed Leonard Chambers from Bob Mizer to take his first male nude photo as Bruce of LA.  I have never seen any convincing corroboration of that story, and my doubts are increased by the fact that the few Bruce images that can be found these days are a few color slides, as above.  I doubt that Bruce would have gone that far outside the box of black and white prints that dominated the era.  I could be wrong, though.  I've been wrong lots of time before.

 

Unmistakably Kovert

This has Fred Kovert's "silent movie style" written all over it,

whether Fred actually took the photograph or not.

 

Rope and derriere

This is the best derriere photo of Leonard Chambers in my collection.  By AMG.

 

Leonard, not Larry

Leonard looks a little bit like Larry Carr in this Kovert photo, and I have 

to confess to having once mislabeled a picture of Larry as Leonard.

 

Far away

Leonard Chambers has that faraway (and in the other direction) look in this AMG photo.

And there's Mamma Mizer's crystal punchbowl again.

 

Biker Leonard

Leonard looks like he's having fun with a motorcycle on the beach.

Modern collectors would kill for it.

 

Bottled up

Call it whimsy or art, Bob Mizer did a good job with the effects in this photo of Leonard in a bottle.  

I wonder if he was going for a genie or some sort of alcohol related concept.

 

Excalibur?

At first glance,Leonard Chambers seems to be pulling the sword out of a stone in this AMG shot, 

but on closer examination, that appears to be a pile of turf.  His muscles are nice regardless.

Bob Mizer's brave memorialization of Leonard reminds us that courage in the face of oppression is not only possible, but something we simply must do.  Thanks, Bob.  The lesson resonates today.

 

Leonard Chambers is best known for his modeling work with Bob Mizer of AMG and for being the subject of a courageous Mizer editorial in Physique Pictorial criticizing his 1956 killing by two LA cops. They shot him twice while he was handcuffed in the back seat of their car, and Mizer wrote a scathing account of it.  Except for the victim's race, it sounds familiar, doesn't it?

I only have two pictures of Mr. Chambers by Kovert of Hollywood, and this is the better, imho.