FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Bob Mizer Foundation Announces Name Change to Bob Mizer Museum and Photographic Archives
Reflecting Expanded Mission as a Museum, Archive, and Research Institution
SAN FRANCISCO – September 16, 2025 --
The Bob Mizer Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the legacy of photographer Bob Mizer and celebrating the history of male physique photography and queer visual culture, has announced an official name change to the Bob Mizer Museum and Photographic Archives.
The change was approved by the organization’s Board of Directors and reflects the Foundation’s growth into a full-fledged museum, archive, and research institution. This new name more accurately reflects the organization’s expanded exhibitions, educational programs, research services, and community outreach initiatives.
“While our mission remains unchanged, the scope and scale of our programs have evolved significantly,” said Den Bell, CEO and Founder of the Bob Mizer Museum and Photographic Archives. “We are now more than a foundation—we are a museum and research resource serving students, scholars, artists, and the public. Our new name reflects this evolution and reinforces our commitment to preserving, presenting, and advancing the study of Bob Mizer’s work and the broader field of queer visual culture.”
The Bob Mizer Museum rchivechiveand Photographic Archives continues to house one of the world’s most comprehensive archives of male physique photography, underground publishing, and related visual ephemera, including over 8,000 films, 2,000,000 negatives, and a library of tens of thousands of books and periodicals. In addition to its archival work, the Museum presents rotating exhibitions, public programs, artist talks, film screenings, and serves as an active research space for visiting scholars.
The organization’s tax-exempt status, mission, and governance remain unchanged.
For more information about the Bob Mizer Museum and Photographic Archives, upcoming exhibitions, or research inquiries, visit bobmizer.org or contact Corbin Crable at staff@bobmizer.org.
About the Bob Mizer Museum and Photographic Archives
The Bob Mizer Museum and Photographic Archives is a nonprofit museum and scholarly archive dedicated to the preservation, study, and exhibition of photography that centers the male form, with a particular emphasis on mid-20th century homoerotic imagery, physique culture, and queer visual history. We promote and preserve of progressive and controversial photography and believe that the most disputed works of art are the most important to the progress of society.
Bob Mizer (1922-92) was a mid-century male physique photographer. In 1945, Mizer founded the Athletic Model Guild; in 1951, he began publishing his pioneering zine Physique Pictorial, which would enjoy a press run of nearly 40 years.
During an era in which artists like Mizer could be (and were) censored and silenced by the ongoing threat of heavy fines, exposure to a puritanical public, and even jail time. His work remains a groundbreaking and critical component of LGBTQ+ culture and history, resonating with a global audience even today.
The Bob Mizer Museum and Photographic Archives is a nonprofit museum and scholarly archive dedicated to the preservation, study, and exhibition of photography that centers the male form, with a particular emphasis on mid-20th century homoerotic imagery, physique culture, and queer visual history. We promote and preserve of progressive and controversial photography and believe that the most disputed works of art are the most important to the progress of society.
Corbin Crable
Chief Communications Officer
corbin@bobmizer.org