Then what happened? I got a chance to read the entire article – David Hurles: The Outlaw Who Invented Rough-Trade Porn by Kelvin Blunt – and a bunch of stuff jumped out at me!! – like I had no idea David Hurles actually did nude modeling! Kinda makes sense, being in front of the camera can give you insights into being behind the camera – but then I read this incredible part of Blunt’s article:
“At Guild Press in D.C., H. Lynn Womack commissioned Auto-Fellatio & Masturbation. Unable to find a model who could suck his own dick, Hurles did it himself. The book was seized in a raid, and Hurles was summoned to D.C. to testify. After five hours sweating outside the courtroom, he was told to go home. The judge, apparently, could not face asking a man about sucking his own cock.”
what the !!!!!
And then what happened?? A little internet search, and I see someone sold the dang thing recently and I nab the cover photo and … then? I searched my old harddrive and discovered I actually owned the publication, and sold it in 2005!! I managed to scan only a couple pics, but I think I have David’s – perhaps he is “Bill” – case 1103???
long-time readers may remember that while I have sold a shitload of porn over the years, and only recently began to keep decent quality scans of the magazines, I almost always kept the html file I worked on before uploading the thing to the eBay or other auction sites. (What was that pre- Adult Auctions Only site?) And not only did I have a couple of mediocre images, but also a description which included this:
BILL – case 1103 – “He experimented with auto-fellatio, was unsuccessful at first, but when he attempted it repeatedly he became more proficient at it.” 14 pages, 13 photos – see example below”
did you catch that? 13 photos!!!! OMG – We must find that publication!!
4 replies on “Auto-Fellatio outlaw”
Oh man!!! Thanks so much for posting these. Had heard so much about it for years and years.
Just read that article about Hurles by Kelvin Blunt and really enjoyed it. Never knew he photographed weddings. Ha.
And never saw the self suck photos.
And can’t believe I missed the exhibition in Austin, TX earlier this year. Would definitely have flown down if I’d known in advance. Glad the glallery did it and Dian Hanson. Sounds like it was really extensive and inclusive of every type of media he produced.
Hi Dan: Thank you for reading my essay and for this kind note. David’s wedding photography chapter is one of those wonderfully unexpected turns in his life story. It says so much about how many worlds he moved through, in such a short period of time.
Like you, I wish I’d known about the Austin exhibition earlier this year. Based on what I know about the exhibit, Dian Hanson, Christopher Trout, and the MASS Gallery team pulled together an incredibly rare range of his work, much of it almost impossible to see elsewhere. Hopefully, we’ll get to see the exhibit at some point.
I’m really glad my piece added a few new details to your understanding of David Hurles. He was a remarkable, courageous, and self-actualized artist. And it was an honor to get to know him while researching and writing the essay. It means a lot that BJ and readers like you are keeping the curiosity alive.
Thanks again for taking the time to post!
Kelvin
Hi BJ: This post made my day! The fact that my essay sent you back into your old hard drive to unearth the “Bill – case 1103” notes is truly awesome. What a great find! Your documentation habits over the years are a treasure for anyone striving to preserve this history.
And, indeed, David’s brief stint as a model is one of those details almost no one knew. Hearing that it surprised you—someone who’s lived with this archive more deeply than I have—means more than I can say.
Thanks again for taking the time to read my essay and for keeping this history alive with such care. It was especially helpful during my research.
Warmest regards,
Kelvin
Look, guys, if you actually want details on David Hurles I am the one with everything. Don’t know why no one is coming to the source.