This is a rare vintage UNREAD and out of print copy of LIKE A MOTH TO A FLAME, by author and photographer JIM FRENCH, with contributions from BRUCE WEBER and published and distributed by Little Bear Press; 1st edition in 2003 featuring the nude male photography from photographer JIM FRENCH. This XX page HARDCOVER book and DUST JACKET measures XX. See photos for condition.

It was the late 60's in New York City, the clubs Arthur and the Stonewall were packed with couples of every age, color and possible gender. Did I dream it or was it really such an innocent time? The Family of Man photography exhibition, curated by Edward Steichen had already broken attendance records at The Museum of Modern Art. Carl Sandburg wrote in the introduction leaflet for the exhibition, "The wonder of the human mind, heart, wit and instinct is here." You might find yourself saying, "I am not a stranger here." At the same time the museums were busy collecting and showing photography alongside painting and sculpture; such as the photographs of Paul Strand, Ansel Adams and Edward Weston.

But there was a different approach to photography that had it's beginnings on the street, which was beginning to sneak itself into chose hallowed halls in the mid 70's; such as the work of Diane Arbus (1973), Walker Evans
(1975), and William Eggleston (1976).

It wasn't until I lived in Paris in the late 70s, and began to work as a photographer that I first learned about the photographs of Jim French. I shared a small one bedroom with my friend, Craig, in a fifth floor walk up hotel where the Odeon meets Boulevard St. Germain. Craig was a model, who called himself an actor but who really was a comedian. We weren't working and were both broke, so we would drink a bottle of cheap French wine for dinner that we got from an admirer; and we would look at Craig's collection of Colt Studio Magazines filled with the work of Jim French. It made us homesick for America and our friends, who looked nothing like the men in Jim's photographs, except for one model, David Skrivanek, better known in the Colt Studio circles as Erron. He looked like he could be one of my fraternity bothers at Dennison University who played lacrosse. But David also looked like he could be an air conditioner delivery man or a drawing model that just stepped out of Paul Cadmus' The Fleet's In. Craig and I didn't have many Parisian friends so we would look at Jim's photographs of David, and Craig would entertain me by acting out imaginary conversations with David in all the different scenarios. It made us laugh so hard and got us through a cold winter in Paris.

Years later I returned to New York and I started studying photography with Lisette Model at the New School. It was an exciting time for photography and the sexually charged work of Robert Mapplethorpe (a great fan of Jim French's photographs) and Helmut Newton could now be seen in galleries, museums and magazines. But, it wasn't until a summer's day many years later at my ranch in Montana, that I first met Jim French. When I arrived home there was a Fed Ex box on my porch dated August 12, 1992 and the slip read to a Mr. Jim French care of Little Bear Ranch and was sent by Colt Studio in California. At first I thought it was a prank maybe from Craig who was now appearing at one of the stand up comic nightclubs on the strip in Hollywood. There was also the words "film inside - handle with care" written all over the huge box. So I quickly moved the package out of the sun and set it up in the small living room of our settler's cabin. Later that day a friend, Tom Hahn, called and told me that he had to cancel his vacation at a nearby cabin and so he gave it to his friend, the photographer, Jim French.

I called down at the cabin in the West Boulder and an elegant voice came over the phone. "Yes, I'm Jim French, who's calling?" he asked. "Well Mr. French, I'm your neighbor and my name is Bruce Weber and I've received a huge box of film for you that I've put in a much cooler place then my porch." He laughed and invited us over for tea or a drink and "please don't forget the film," he said. Jim told me that we had to be on time because his models were cooking dinner and they had to eat early so they could "get to bed and get a good night sleep so they would look rested for their sitting the next day". When we arrived, there in the middle of Montana was Jim French wearing an elegant…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jim French [James Thomas French] (July 14, 1932 – June 16, 2017) was an American artist, illustrator, photographer, filmmaker, and publisher. He is best known for his association with Colt Studio which he, using the pseudonym Rip Colt, (and with business partner Lou Thomas) created in 1966. Thomas parted from the endeavor in 1974 leaving French to continue to build what would become one the most successful gay male erotica companies in the U.S.

Due to recent delivery issues with the USPS I now ship all items via Priority Mail. $100 of insurance is included in this price. I’m selling my collection of vintage 1960-1980s gay pulp paperback novels, pictorial & hardcore magazines, physique photography, magazines & artwork.