Tom initially signed his work simply as “Tom.” In 1957, when his drawings were first published in Physique Pictorial, his publisher, Bob Mizer, added “of Finland” to the name. This name would become synonymous with one of the most influential artists in the history of homoerotic art. For decades, Tom and Mizer maintained a professional relationship primarily through correspondence. When Tom came to Los Angeles, Durk Dehner had the distinct honor of bringing the two men together in person, finally connecting two collaborators whose professional relationship had been built through years of letters.
Tom first traveled to the United States in 1978. By 1979–1980, Tom and Durk had begun developing a formal business partnership, initially based on a verbal agreement grounded in profound mutual trust. In May 1984, they formalized their partnership through a written agreement signed under their legal names. In 1987, they filed a Los Angeles County DBA (“doing business as”) for “Tom of Finland.” Following Tom’s death in 1991, Durk, acting as president, formally incorporated Tom of Finland Company, Inc. in California in October 1994.
The Company was established with a fundamentally protective purpose: to ensure that Tom received fair compensation for his work and to protect his art from the piracy and exploitation that had plagued his career. By creating a stable business infrastructure for publishing, licensing, and distributing his work, Durk helped give Tom the freedom and resources to focus on creating new art.
The trust underpinning this partnership extended beyond business. In 1980, Tom brought Veli, his life partner of 28 years, from Finland to TOM House to meet Durk and see the operation firsthand. The visit reassured Veli that Tom had found a trustworthy and capable business partner who could help safeguard his work and support his future.
The business also developed in service of a broader cultural purpose. As its operations grew, Tom and Durk recognized the importance of establishing a permanent nonprofit archive to safeguard Tom’s work and legacy and, ultimately, provide a haven for other erotic artists. The Company played a foundational role in the development of Tom of Finland Foundation, contributing labor, distribution networks, operational support, and volunteer recruitment. Its intention was to advance the Foundation’s mission of preservation and cultural advocacy.
The Company operated out of TOM House before and after maintaining a retail shop in Silver Lake during the mid-to-late 1990s. The shop included exhibition space regularly used by the Foundation to mount shows. The Company continues to exist at TOM House, where some of the wholesale and mail-order inventory from its former shop remains housed. Over time, Durk increasingly devoted his attention to the Foundation and its nonprofit mission of preserving Tom’s artistic legacy and supporting the broader community of erotic artists. Although the Company and the Foundation have distinct roles, their histories and activities remain closely intertwined, reflecting a shared commitment to preserving Tom’s legacy and advancing the cultural significance of erotic art.
For Durk, the personal significance of this commitment became especially clear at an early book signing. Witnessing a long queue of men waiting for hours to thank Tom for creating powerful, affirming representations of men like themselves profoundly affected him. He came to understand that Tom’s contribution extended beyond his extraordinary artistic talent: his work offered people a sense of dignity, belonging, and validation. Durk resolved to support Tom and provide the resources and opportunities he needed to pursue his artistic vision, just as Tom’s art had helped so many others embrace their own identities.
Today, the lives, work, and legacies of Tom and Durk, together with those of countless other artists, remain deeply intertwined with TOM House. Their histories cannot be meaningfully separated from this place, which has served as their home, offices, and studio, as well as a creative environment and a center for the preservation of erotic art. Tom and Durk established Tom of Finland Foundation on December 14, 1984, to preserve Tom’s artistic legacy. Their vision laid the groundwork for an enduring institution dedicated to safeguarding this vital cultural history for future generations.
We are fully committed to ensuring that TOM House continues to thrive as a dynamic hub for scholars, artists, fans, and collectors, while remaining a living monument to art and a profound testament to the life’s work of Tom and Durk. If something were to happen to ToFF—whether through a lack of funds or total dissolution—we fully support Durk’s vision of sending the Tom of Finland artwork collection to Finland, to perhaps establish a new museum or be acquired by a national one. It is a beautiful contingency plan, and something Tom would absolutely approve of.”