Joseph W. Bean has been an author, editor, journalist, artist, lecturer, instructor, and the executive director of the Leather Archives & Museum. He was born in Humansville, Missouri in 1947. He moved with his extended family to California in 1957. He then lived in San Francisco while editing Drummer Magazine from 1989 to 1992, and, as the editor of Drummer, he was also in an editorial or managerial position with regard to the entire family of Desmodus magazines. He also was editor of International Leatherman, and the Bear/Brush Creek magazines from 1994 to 1997, serving as the manager of Mr. S Leathers between the two magazine jobs. He guest lectured and did radical sex/SM demonstrations for multiple courses each semester and in summer sessions at San Francisco State University c. 1990-1996. He then held the executive directors position at the Leather Archives & Museum from August 1997 until 2002 when he moved to Maui where he wrote for Maui Weekly newspaper and dozens of other freelance clients. In 2006, he took a day job with Pacific Disaster Center as Technical Editor, which has led to many extremely unusual and unexpected writing assignments. In the collection are some magazines from the 1960s in which Joseph appeared as a model, not a writer, with the aliases Buddy Bunz and Buddy Bung (a misspelling of Bunz).
He has written and edited over 20 books which include: Leathersex: A Guide for the Curious Outsider and the Serious Player, International Mr. Leather: 25 Years of Champions, Flogging, and many others. Attached to the finding aid is a bibliographic listing of the books written by Joseph. In the collection there are copies of manuscripts for International Mr. Leather: 25 Years of Champions and Leathersex: A Guide for the Curious Outsider and the Serious Player, research materials for the books including the materials for an unpublished biography on the life of Chuck Renslow, and correspondence related to the publishing of the books.
Joseph has received many awards and honors from the national leather community during his years, including National Leather Association International's Lifetime Achievement Award (1998), three Pantheon of Leather Awards (including the Reader's Choice Award in 1993), and Man of the Year in 1994, 1998, and 2000.
The collection includes approximately 6 linear feet (12 archival boxes) of records. The records focus on his correspondence both personal and business, artwork and photography, publications including his book International Mr. Leather: 25 Years of Champions and research on an unpublished Chuck Renslow biography. Materials consist of newsletters, flyers, personal correspondence and business communications about articles he had written, information on publications of his books, manuscripts for International Mr. Leather: 25 Years of Champions and Leathersex: A Guide for the Curious Outsider and the Serious Player, certificates, photos, compact discs of photos, magazines, books, original drawings, and original silhouette artwork. Materials in the collection date from 1974 to 2007. Newsletters concern the various activities of groups Joseph Bean was associated with.
Materials that are collected by Joseph Bean but that are not directly linked to his writing, art, or his editorial duties include a collection of short stories written by Chesley, Nigel Kent, David Logan Morrow, and Dik Staal.
Tapes with Bill Stadt #2, #3, and #3 moved to another collection, Removed duplicate tape, Photographs of 2003 International Mr. Leather Competition moved to photograph collection, Radiance of Pigs Fear Itself by Stan Rice moved to book collection, Fear Itself by Stan Rice moved to book collection, Anger by Bill Landis copied and moved to book collection, Hollywood Babylon by Kenneth Anger copied and moved to book collection.
Bibliography
Records concerning the Chicago Hellfire Club access is restricted to those approved by the Chicago Hellfire Club.
Materials were donated in four boxes. Most items have been placed in labeled folders. Some of the materials were found loosely in the box without any system of organization. The processor has therefore artificially arranged the collection unless otherwise noted. The processor organized materials according to subject. In instances where the folder label accurately described its contents or the folder contained material related to a common subject, original order has been maintained.
This series contains the materials related to communication by Joseph Bean both on a personal level and professional level. Included are newsletters, flyers, personal and business letters, magazines, emails, photos, thank you cards, and holiday cards. Some of the correspondences that appear frequently are Pat Califia, Sukie de la Croix, and David Stein. When Joseph was writing the Leathersex articles he received letters with questions to which he has attached some of his replies to them. Also included are text versions of keynote addresses given at various events. Newsletters are of the clubs and organizations to which Joseph Bean is a member.
This series includes general information pertaining the artwork and photography of Joseph Bean. Included are examples of silhouette art and drawings. There are also photographs both by him and taken of him. There are also programs of his teaching the art of silhouette cutting and his exhibits. The last portion of this series is given to people who have sent him artwork and photographs such as Bill Schmeling.
The series contains stories by Joseph Bean and other stories that were sent to him by Chesley, Nigel Kent, David Logan Morrow, and Nigel Kent writing as Dik Staal. It also contains information on publishing some of his books like Leathersex. The folders are arranged by the author name. Materials include letter correspondence and manuscripts
The series is entirely made up of the research materials that Joseph Bean used to write the book International Mr. Leather: 25 Years of Champions. The materials are organized by year of the competition. Materials include emails about the competition, programs, photographs, the manuscript of the book, and compact discs containing photos from the competition. There are also listings of major events that transpired during the year and also popular culture events as well.
The series contains oral histories by Chuck Renslow, other oral histories given by Chuck to Gayle Rubin and Joseph Bean, invitations to the White Party, interviews with Dom Orejudos, photographs, information on his various clubs like 86's at Man Country about guests, programs about the Gay and Lesbian Pride and Hall of Fame, print outs of religious views and Egyptian Holy Church: The Way of Life and articles on voodoo, magazines, Kris photographs, flyers for his clubs, history of the Dewey Mansion, a poster concerning being tested for diseases, political activism, correspondence with people who knew Chuck Renslow such as Sukie de la Croix, and copies of various official documents about Chuck Renslow. There is a copy of a manuscript entitled Chuck Renslow: Legends, Lies and True Stories of a Leather Life.