Humanness Always Comes First

Robert Alexander (right) officiating a hot tub wedding ceremony in Venice, 1978. Photo: Lyle Mayer



Alexander's former residence at 1439 Cabrillo Avenue, Venice, California, photographed in 1996. Courtesy of Anthony Pearson.




Charles Brittin, Robert Alexander, ca. 1960. Courtesy of the Charles Brittin Archive, Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles. (2005.M.11)



Exterior of the Gas House, Venice, CA, 1962. Courtesy of the Los Angeles Public Library.



Bob Alexander, Skater of the Week. From The Ocean Front Weekly, December 27, 1978.



Humanness Always Comes First (East of Borneo): In all this, persons come first. None of the above is to be construed as a rule or regulation. Humanness always comes first!—Robert Alexander, Bulletin to Temple of Man Ministry 1    Call it a sign of the times: In July 1979, as American divorce...


Text by Kate Wolf