http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8tt4sgj No online items Finding aid to the Falcon Studios still images collection, circa 1970-2012 Coll2012.159 Processing this collection has been partially funded by a generous grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California 909 West Adams Boulevard Los Angeles, California, 90007 (213) 821-2771 [email protected] © 2013 Finding aid to the Falcon Studios Coll2012.159 1 still images collection, circa 1970-2012 Coll2... Title: Falcon Studios still images collection Identifier/Call Number: Coll2012.159 Contributing Institution: ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California Language of Material: English Physical Description: 421.4 linear feet.404 boxes + 22 archive cartons + 8 flat archive boxes + 1 archive shoebox. Date (bulk): Bulk, 1978-2009 Date (inclusive): circa 1970-2012, bulk 1978-2009 Abstract: Slides, tranparencies, negatives, photograph prints, contact sheets, DVDs, CDs and other material, circa 1970-2012, from Falcon Studios, one of the largest producers of gay erotic film and publications in the United States. The collection includes original negatives and over 1.5 million slides from Falcon's production files dating back to its earliest productions in the 1970s; as well as slides and photographs from other production companies it acquired during its 40-year history. creator: Falcon Studios. Administrative History In 1971, Charles Holmes, a salesman from Indiana, was laid off from his job selling aluminum siding. He moved to San Francisco where he bought some gay erotic films and acquired mailing lists from an acquaintance, Matt Sterling. With these films, as well as films he produced himself, Holmes formed Falcon Studios in 1972 as a mail order business, selling 10-minute gay erotic black-and-white short films. Holmes operated Falcon Studios mostly by himself until the mid-1970s when the company grew large enough for him to hire other directors, producers and contracted models. In 1978, Falcon experienced a business boom with The Other Side of Aspen, the first Falcon title to be released in a video format. As John Karr writes, "Originally, Aspen was meant to be several 'loops,' the 200-foot 8mm films which were how porn was sold for home viewing. But video was just being born, and the much-deliberated decision to release the film in the new format would reward the company with massive sales." Falcon quickly became one of the most recognized names in gay adult entertainment and Falcon's aesthetic identity was marked by high production values, luxurious locations, and clean-cut, healthy physiques. From the 1980s to 2000s, Falcon continued to grow and became the parent company of other branded series of gay erotic entertainment, including Mustang Studios (MVP), Jocks Studios (JVP), Massive Studios, Falcon International Collection (FIC), the Alone With... Series (FAW), Falcon Anthology Series (FAS) and the Matt Sterling Collection (MSC). In 2010, AEBN, an adult video-on-demand provider based in Charlotte, North Carolina, acquired Falcon Studios and Raging Stallion Studios to create the largest gay erotic production company in the United States. Sources: Falcon Studios Still Images Collection, Coll2012-159, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California. Hanson, Dian. The Big Penis Book. London: Taschen, 2008. Karr, John F. "Still Horny After All These Years," Bay Area Reporter, Vol. 31, Iss. 14 (April 5, 2001). Conditions Governing Access The collection is open to researchers. The collection is STORED OFFSITE. Advanced notice is required to access this collection. Conditions Governing Use All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the ONE Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives at USC Libraries as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained. Acquisition Gift of Datatech Enterprises, LLC., September 18, 2012. Preferred Citation [Box/folder #, or item name] Falcon Studios Still Images Collection, Coll2012-159, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California. Processing Information The 4-digit item numbers in this finding aid were retained from Falcon Studios' original database. Collection processed by ONE Archives staff, August 2013. Scope and Contents Finding aid to the Falcon Studios Coll2012.159 2 still images collection, circa 1970-2012 Coll2... The collection includes slides, tranparencies, negatives, photograph prints, contact sheets, DVDs, CDs and other material, circa 1970-2012, from Falcon Studios, as well as its other production divisions, such as Mustang Studios, Jocks Studios and Falcon International. The collection includes original negatives and over 1.5 million slides from Falcon's production files dating back to its earliest productions in the 1970s. The production files comprise a curated collection of "Selected" images--or the images considered to be of the best quality by Falcon producers--from the hundreds of Falcon titles. Also included on DVDs and CDs are hundreds of raw or modified digital images that Falcon produced when the studio converted to digital photography, circa 2000. The model glamour files include slides of portrait images or film stills featuring Falcon's hundreds of models. The promotional and administrative files contain material for Falcon's line of accessories, catalogs, special publications and other promotional material; as well as advertising records, website content and model releases. Arrangement This collection is arranged in the following series: Series 1. Production files Series 2. Model glamour files Series 3. Promotional, administrative and miscellaneous files Separated Materials 21 issues of The Informant newsletter (Pasadena, California, March 1975-April 1978) have been separated from the collection and cataloged in the ONE Archives periodical collection. Related Archival Materials note ONE Archives holds VHS videotapes, films and DVDs of Falcon productions. Refer to ONE's database of audiovisual material for more information. Subjects and Indexing Terms Falcon Entertainment. Holmes, Charles M., 1945-2000 Jocks Studios. Mustang Studios. Gay erotic films Gay erotic photography Gay erotic videos Negatives (photographic) Photographs Photography of the nude Slides (photographs) Production files Series 1. circa 1970-2012 Series Description This series includes slides, photographic prints, negatives, CDs, DVDs and other material from Falcon's production files, circa 1978-2009. For information about the titles attributed to the loop numbers or production numbers, please refer to the Index of Falcon Studios Productions in this finding aid, or to the catalogs and brochures in Series 3. Arrangement This series is divided into three subseries: (Subseries 1.1) Productions by loop identification number, (Subseries 1.2) Productions by production number, and (Subseries 1.3) Productions by title. Finding aid to the Falcon Studios Coll2012.159 3 still images collection, circa 1970-2012 Coll2... Production files Series 1. circa 1970-2012 Productions by loop identification number Subseries 1.1.circa 1978-2009 Productions by loop identification number Subseries 1.1. circa 1978-2009 Scope and Contents This subseries contains black-and-white photographic prints, negatives and slides of still images identified by "loop" identification number. Note that the term "loop" refers to the single reel of film (and related series of images) that was typically 15 minutes or less and sold in the mail order market during Falcon's early years, circa 1972-1978, and often reused in later productions, circa 1978-2009. For information about the titles attributed to the loop numbers, please refer to the catalogs and brochures in Series 3. Arrangement This subseries is arranged numerically by loop identification number. Box 415, Item 1 Loop ID #5-1; 5-2 circa 1978-2009 General Physical Description note: Photographic prints (b&w). Box 423, Item 1 Loop ID #7 to 12, miscellaneous circa 1978-2009 General Physical Description note: Photographic prints (b&w). Box 415, Item 2 Loop ID #1-M circa 1978-2009 General Physical Description note: Photographic prints (b&w). Box 415, Item 3 Loop ID #2-M circa 1978-2009 General Physical Description note: Photographic prints (b&w). Box 415, Item 4 Loop ID #3-M circa 1978-2009 General Physical Description note: Photographic prints (b&w). Box 415, Item 5 Loop ID #4-M circa 1978-2009 General Physical Description note: Photographic prints (b&w). Box 415, Item 6 Loop ID #5-M circa 1978-2009 General Physical Description note: Photographic prints (b&w). Box 415, Item 7 Loop ID #13-M circa 1978-2009 General Physical Description note: Photographic prints (b&w). Box 415, Item 8 Loop ID #14-M circa 1978-2009 General Physical Description note: Photographic prints (b&w). Box 415, Item 9 Loop ID #15-M circa 1978-2009 General Physical Description note: Photographic prints (b&w). Box 415, Item 10 Loop ID #16-M circa 1978-2009 General Physical Description note: Photographic prints (b&w). Box 415, Item 11 Loop ID #17-M circa 1978-2009 General Physical Description note: Photographic prints (b&w). Box 415, Item 12 Loop ID #18-M circa 1978-2009 General Physical Description note: Photographic prints (b&w). Box 415, Item 13 Loop ID #21-M circa 1978-2009 General Physical Description note: Photographic prints (b&w). Finding aid to the Falcon Studios Coll2012.159 4 still images collection, circa 1970-2012 Coll2... Production files Series 1. circa 1970-2012 Productions by loop identification number Subseries 1.1.circa 1978-2009 Box 415, Item 14 Loop ID #28-M circa 1978-2009 General Physical Description note: Photographic prints (b&w). Box 415, Item 15 Loop ID #29-M circa 1978-2009 General Physical Description note: Photographic prints (b&w). Box 415, Item 16 Loop ID #30-M circa 1978-2009 General Physical Description note: Photographic prints (b&w).