Goodbye David Croland
Another New York legend has left us. Robert Mapplethorpe's first 'proper' boyfriend and muse to his early Polaroid work. Part of Warhol's Factory scene. Artist, illustrator, and model, David Croland.
In a change from today’s planned post, I want to pay my respects to David Croland who passed away last week.
I was with my friend Jody (pearlsbeforepearls on instagram) when she shared the sad news that David had passed away. It was a huge shock to the system. Of course, the reality is we’re coming to a time when these older legends are leaving us. But David was someone who it felt like had always been there and always would be. He’d seen it all, from being part of Andy Warhol’s Factory scene to becoming Robert Mapplethorpe’s model, muse and first ‘proper’ boyfriend, and the person who helped Robert to fully embrace his sexuality.
His introduction in Just Kids comes on pages 147-149 -
It was Tinkerbelle who introduced us to David Croland. Physically David was a match for Robert, tall and slender with dark curly hair, pale skin, and deep brown eyes… In 1965 Andy Warhol and Susan Bottomly spotted him on the street and recruited him for films. Susan, who was known as International Velvet, was being groomed as the next Superstar, succeeding Edie Sedgwick. David had an intense affair with Susan, and when she left him in 1969 he fled to London, landing in a hotbed of film, fashion, and rock and roll.
As a top model at Boys Inc., David was confident and not easily intimidated. When he was chided for using his looks, he retorted, “I’m not using my looks. Other people are using my looks.”
He shifted from London to Paris and arrived back in New York in early May. He stayed with Tinkerbelle at London Terrace and she was eager to introduce us all. David was likable and respected us as a couple. He loved visiting our space, calling it our art factory, and showed genuine admiration when looking at our work.
Our life seemed easier with David in it. Robert enjoyed his company and liked that David appreciated his work…
David was one the early big supporters of Leather Saints and helped me by identifying the dates of so many images I have shared. He gave me the belief that this project was more than just a hobby and could reach people who took part in this history. He is such a huge loss to the memory of this special period in New York, and to those who loved and knew him best.
I’m travelling in New York right now, so I don’t have access to all of my archive to properly go into depth on David’s life and impact. But in the future I will write a more complete post on David and his introduction in Just Kids. For now, I wanted to pay my respects to a legend of the 1960/1970s New York scene.
Goodbye David. I’m sorry we never had the chance to sit down and talk in person. It will be a regret of mine for some time.
Please support the work of photographers Paul Morrissey, Pierre Schermann, and Judy Linn. Patti Smith’s Just Kids remains available in most bookshops and online in the UK, US, and in Europe. Robert Mapplethorpe’s Foundation continues to keep his work alive in the public consciousness.
This is a lovely tribute to this beautiful man, and I look forward to your fuller post, but meanwhile, keep absorbing all those images and details that New York must be providing!
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