GAYLETTER

GAYLETTER

The Phallus Palace

We visited Charles Leslie in his iconic SoHo loft in New York City, often referred to as the Phallus Palace for its rich penile motifs.

We visited Charles Leslie in his iconic SoHo loft in New York City, often referred to as the Phallus Palace for its rich penile motifs.

We visited Charles Leslie in his iconic SoHo loft in New York City, often referred to as the Phallus Palace for its rich penile motifs.

Center: Marion Pinto’s twin nude of Charles Leslie and Fritz Lohman, from her exhibition Man as Sex Object.

We visited Charles Leslie in his iconic SoHo loft in New York City, often referred to as the Phallus Palace for its rich penile motifs.

We visited Charles Leslie in his iconic SoHo loft in New York City, often referred to as the Phallus Palace for its rich penile motifs.

1. Nude of a beautiful young dancer shot by Peter Hujar. Charles bought this piece from Hujar before his death from AIDS in 1987.

2. Photograph by Robert Mapplethorpe.

3. Black and white drawing by Keith Haring titled “3 Men”. Charles describes this piece as one of Haring’s more sexually explicit works.

4. Sketch from Tom of Finland. Charles is particularly fond of it for its uncharacteristic softness, intimacy, and tenderness.

5. Andy Warhol’s portrait of Victor Hugo. Charles: On an Air India Flight, Hugo asked Warhol to sketch his profile. Warhol had pencils but no paper, so he began to draw on the back of an Air India in-flight menu. When he was done, Warhol showed Hugo the drawing — which depicts two hanging phalli- and said, “Darling, here’s your profile.”

6. Portraits of Roman emperors. Charles: Young rich men from New York, Philadelphia, and Boston would send these home when they toured the world in the mid 19th century.

1. Nude of a beautiful young dancer shot by Peter Hujar. Charles bought this piece from Hujar before his death from AIDS in 1987.

2. Photograph by Robert Mapplethorpe.

3. Black and white drawing by Keith Haring titled “3 Men”. Charles describes this piece as one of Haring’s more sexually explicit works.

4. Sketch from Tom of Finland. Charles is particularly fond of it for its uncharacteristic softness, intimacy, and tenderness.

5. Andy Warhol’s portrait of Victor Hugo. Charles: On an Air India Flight, Hugo asked Warhol to sketch his profile. Warhol had pencils but no paper, so he began to draw on the back of an Air India in-flight menu. When he was done, Warhol showed Hugo the drawing — which depicts two hanging phalli- and said, “Darling, here’s your profile.”

6. Portraits of Roman emperors. Charles: Young rich men from New York, Philadelphia, and Boston would send these home when they toured the world in the mid 19th century.

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