Unfortunate victim of the seemy underbelly of the physique photography world Leonard Chambers didn’t set out to become a martyr for the legalization of homosexuality.
Chambers began modeling for Walter Kovert’s silent movie inspired nudes in 1948
And soon after began working with many physique photographers of the time like Bruce of LA
As well as his extensive work with Bob Mizer of AMG throughout the late 40s and early 50s.
Unfortunately for Leonard, the illegality of gay porn in the mid 50s caught up with him and he got killed in a botched police raid in 1956 where two LA cops shot him twice while he was handcuffed in the back seat of their car, and Mizer wrote a scathing account of it.
This issue of Physique Pictorial is dedicated to LEONARD CHAMBERS pictured here, who was SHOT AND KILLED by an off duty POLICEMAN who was in private hire at the time! See page 3.
He continues on page 3 — “WAS THE KILLING OF LEONARD CHAMBERS BY TWO OFF-DUTY POLICEMEN “JUSTIFIABLE HOMICIDE”? Acting in the employment of a private bail bondsman, two Southern California policemen forced Leonard Chambers to get in their private car for allegedly failing to appear on some traffic charges. They testified that Leonard pulled a gun on them even though they had previously searched him and had him handcuffed. In desparate [sic] “self-defense” they shot him twice in the back of the head. Leonard of course didn’t live to tell his side of the story. The coroner’s jurors dutifully declared this murder “justifiable homicide.”
