William A. Rhoads Nude Male photographs, circa 1975-1981

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Summary

Creators:
Rhoads, William A.
Abstract:
Nude photographs of male hitchhikers on Pacific Coast Highway between Santa Monica and Santa Barbara taken by amateur photographer William A. Rhoads, circa 1975-1981.
Extent:
1.25 linear feet.
Language:
Preferred citation:

William A. Rhoads Nude Male Photographs, Coll2008-026, ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives, Los Angeles, California.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection consists of nude photographs of males, and in one instance of a male-female couple, most apparently picked up hitchhiking along the Pacific Coast Highway on the northward journey from Santa Monica to Santa Barbara. Approximately a third of the models are identified, and their photographs dated; a list of these models is available with the collection, but for privacy reasons they are identified in this finding aid only by initials. The remaining photographs are not identified, and are not dated. An account by Joseph Carrier of the circumstances under which the photographs were taken is included with the collection. Between Rhoads' death and the acquisition of the collection by ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives many of the prints and virtually all the negatives in the original collection were damaged beyond repair by high humidity; many of the surviving photographs are heavily warped.

Biographical / historical:

William A. Rhoads earned a PhD in botany, and worked for defense contractor EG&G (Egerton, Germeshausen, and Grier), Inc., studying the effects of radiation on plants for the Atomic Energy Commission. He spent his weekends in a small house he owned near Venice Beach, but lived weekdays in Goleta, where EG&G's Santa Barbara Operations were based. He died of congenital heart disease in the early 1980s.

Source: Letter from Joseph Carrier to Gregory L. Williams. August 3, 2006.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Joseph Carrier, June 2006 .
Custodial history:

Upon Rhoads' death, following instructions left to the executor of his estate, all his photographs were given to Joseph Carrier, who donated the collection to ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives in June 2006.

Processing information:

Collection processed by Michael P. Palmer, June 3, 2008.

Processing this collection has been funded by a generous grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open to researchers. There are no access restrictions.

Terms of access:

Publication of images in this collection is restricted until 2061.

Preferred citation:

William A. Rhoads Nude Male Photographs, Coll2008-026, ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives, Los Angeles, California.

Location of this collection:
909 West Adams Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90007, US
Contact:
(213) 821-2771
askone@usc.edu
Website