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Finding Aid to the Fakir Musafar Archive
BANC PIC 2018.066
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Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
The Bancroft Library
Title: Fakir Musafar archive
Creator:
Musafar, Fakir, 1930-2018
Identifier/Call Number: BANC PIC 2018.066
Physical Description:
13400 photographs
: approximately 13,400 photographs in 8 boxes (prints and text), 6 boxes (negatives), 1 carton (papers), 4 oversize boxes,
2 oversize folders
Physical Description:
69.38 GB
(1 hard drive with 122 video files, approximately 5,950 image files, and approximately 183 other files)
: chiefly JPG and digital video formats
Physical Description:
109.4 GB
(1 hard drive with approximately 4,400 files)
Date (inclusive): approximately 1944-2010?
Abstract: Chiefly photographs pertaining to Fakir Musafar and his work in body modification and related spiritual practice. This work
focuses particularly on piercing as well as corseting, tattooing, branding, and other modifications identified with the "modern
primitive" movement.
Physical Location: Many Bancroft Library collections are stored off-site and advance notice may be required for use. For current information
on the location of these materials, please consult the library's online catalog.
Language of Material:
English
Collection is open for research. Negatives and slides available by appointment only. Some specified materials have been restricted
due to privacy concerns. Digital files are unprocessed and unavailable for use.
Some materials in these collections may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). Roland Loomis's (Fakir
Musafar's) copyright in this collection has been assigned to the University of California Regents. In addition, the reproduction
of some materials may be restricted by terms of University of California gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions,
privacy and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond
that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be
commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.
For additional information about the University of California, Berkeley Library's permissions policy please see: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/about/permissions-policies
Duplication requests require curatorial review and approval due to third party privacy concerns.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Fakir Musafar archive was purchased by The Bancroft Library from
Roland Loomis (Fakir Musafar) and Charlotte (Carla) Loomis on April 12, 2018. Additions from Charlotte (Carla) Loomis were
made in April, 2022.
Fakir Musafar (born Roland Loomis) is known for his fifty years of research and personal exploration of primitive body decoration
and rituals. Fakir introduced concepts and practices for the "body-first" approach to explore spirituality in art, body modifications,
SM and what he called "body play". Fakir's practices have been shown and his views expressed in the 1985 film
Dances Sacred & Profane, in the 2013 film
Body Of God, and in RE/Search publications 1986 book
Modern Primitives (a term Fakir coined in 1979 to describe himself and a few kindred spirits).
As a shaman, artist, master piercer, and body modifier, Fakir played a significant part in the revival of body piercing, body
sculpting, branding and other body-related practices for personal expression, spiritual exploration, rites-of-passage, healing
and reclaiming. He co-developed many of modern body piercing techniques and was Director of the Fakir Body Piercing & Branding
Intensives.
Roland Edmund Loomis was born in 1930 in Aberdeen, South Dakota. He studied electrical engineering and held a B.S.E. degree
from Northern State University (South Dakota) plus an M.A. degree in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University.
For many years he held executive positions in San Francisco advertising agencies and operated his own ad agency in Silicon
Valley.
His interest in body modification started at an early age, and he began taking photographic self portraits as part of this
interest, developing and printing his images in a home dark room. Over the decades he often photographed with large format
cameras (Rolliecord, Rollieflex, Maymia RB), and his prints have been exhibited in numerous galleries, including Fahey/Klein
Gallery in Los Angeles, who served as his agent.
Fakir (Roland Loomis) was married to wife Gloria from 1966 to 1972. In 1990, Fakir married Cléo Dubois (also known as Carla.)
Fakir Musafar died in 2018 at age 87.
(Sources: excerpted, with minor modification and additions, from the Fakir Musafar Foundation website, visited May 2023: https://www.fakir.org/aboutfakir/
See also "Fakir Musafar, Whose 'Body Play' Went to Extremes, Dies at 87", New York Times, Aug. 13, 2018.)
[Identification of item], Fakir Musafar archive, BANC PIC 2018.066, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.
Processed by Bancroft Library staff in 2022.
This archive comprises, chiefly, photographs pertaining to Fakir Musafar and his work in body modification and related spiritual
practice. This work focuses particularly on piercing as well as corseting, tattooing, branding, and other modifications identified
with the "modern primitive" movement, or considered part of B&D (bondage and discipline) practice in kink or S&M (BDSM) culture.
Imagery is often studio portraiture, or documentation of modification practice in a piercing or tattoo studio setting. Some
imagery explores gender identity or presentation. Images from Fakir's workshops, classes, or ritual practice are also present,
as are copy photographs or collected imagery that Fakir compiled for research or publication. This material is often international,
cross-cultural, and/or historical.
Many of the photographs were taken by Fakir, including numerous self portraits, but photographs by others are also present.
The collection includes photographic prints and negatives, some periodicals, ephemera, and posters, and a small quantity of
professional papers such as writings, project files, and model releases.
Printed materials (chiefly serials) have been transferred to the book collection of The Bancroft Library.
Many issues of the journal "The voice of the I am" were added to Bancroft Library's serial holdings, but duplicates were discarded
(Banroft F850.V65).
"I AM" sound recordings were removed for separate cataloging.
19 issues of Body Play Magazine removed for cataloging (Bancroft pf GN418 B64).
Various issues of Piercing Fans International Quarterly (PFIQ) removed for cataloging (Bancroft pf GN419.25 P56).
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Body piercing
Body art
Body marking
Scarification (Body marking)
Tattooing
Corsets
Ritual
Rites and ceremonies
Shamanism
Human body -- Symbolic aspects
Gender identity
Gender nonconformity
Bondage (Sexual behavior)
Photographs
Portrait photographs