John Edwards, founder of The Backstreet, leads a talk on the iconic venue, leatherman subcultures, and the work of Tom of Finland.

For 37 years, The Backstreet was a legendary part of the gay bar and leather scene, becoming the longest-running and strictest men-only leather bar in London. In 1987, Edwards commissioned two drawings from Tom of Finland to help promote The Backstreet. The drawings, one a leather man and the other a rubber man, replaced the earlier club logo of a pair of boots, and soon became synonymous with The Backstreet, appearing on posters, flyers, and newsletters.

This event forms part of our Saturday Talks series, in which artists, curators and writers lead personal responses to Beryl Cook / Tom of Finland. These talks, readings and performances are an opportunity to explore specific aspects of the exhibition, from 'bad taste' to class tourism, masculinity and sexuality in the military, and London's lost queer spaces.