8
The boys prepare to scale the wall bars, producing another row of cute bottoms in very, tight shorts and some fairly impressive upper body shapes as well. You can just see some horizontal, stretch creases in the tight singlets through the 'white out'. The instructor cuts a pretty heroic figure here, his authority over the students is unmistakeable. This sense is subtly reinforced by the boy's poses, facing the wall (like naughty boys) with their hands-up (associated with notions of surrender and deference to deity). There's a gradual transition in enthusiasm from the left-hand student, stiffly at attention through to the almost slouching model on the right who seems to have lost interest in the proceedings.
9
I can't say I exactly recognise this upside-down exercise, but I have seen something similar in the rigging climbing display by the Royal Navy, I think Royale Studio's Basil Clavering had a Navy connection.
I can't say I exactly recognise this upside-down exercise, but I have seen something similar in the rigging climbing display by the Royal Navy, I think Royale Studio's Basil Clavering had a Navy connection.
More shapely bodies here, enhanced by the twisting pose, and splendid shorts - oh for a better copy!
Erotically speaking, the prime point of interest is the right-hand student, apparently slacking in the previous picture and now receiving special 'hands on' attention from the instructor. Note bottom and face in close proximity. Coincidence?
10
'These are my boys' the instructor seems to be saying, in fact it's almost as though he's hanging them up like a fisherman showing off a particularly fine catch - which they clearly are! It's a really nice image, aesthetically balanced (the off-centre effect is exaggerated by the curve of the magazine source towards its centre crease). The instructor oozes power and confidence while the boys display their complete obedience to him, even to the extent of performing together in this girly, 'artistic' display.
'These are my boys' the instructor seems to be saying, in fact it's almost as though he's hanging them up like a fisherman showing off a particularly fine catch - which they clearly are! It's a really nice image, aesthetically balanced (the off-centre effect is exaggerated by the curve of the magazine source towards its centre crease). The instructor oozes power and confidence while the boys display their complete obedience to him, even to the extent of performing together in this girly, 'artistic' display.
Truly a mitchmen putting of men in their place.
Interestingly, there's also a reverse way of looking at this group. The boys show off their fine figures and abilities, they tower above the instructor making him seem diminutive and relatively unfit. He is reduced to propping them up as the stars of the show. I guess it's a matter of personality which way you choose to see this image. An interesting contradiction. A timeless truth about the nature of power.
Meanwhile, the third student dangles from the wall-bars, forgotten at the back. He was presumably intended to provide the apex of a triangular composition, but headless and not quite central enough it just fails to work. Possibly it has been cropped to give more prominence to the foreground group. He has the consolation of the instructor's head nestling in his crotch. Coincidence? I don't think so.
Interestingly, there's also a reverse way of looking at this group. The boys show off their fine figures and abilities, they tower above the instructor making him seem diminutive and relatively unfit. He is reduced to propping them up as the stars of the show. I guess it's a matter of personality which way you choose to see this image. An interesting contradiction. A timeless truth about the nature of power.
Meanwhile, the third student dangles from the wall-bars, forgotten at the back. He was presumably intended to provide the apex of a triangular composition, but headless and not quite central enough it just fails to work. Possibly it has been cropped to give more prominence to the foreground group. He has the consolation of the instructor's head nestling in his crotch. Coincidence? I don't think so.
The belts worn all by the participants (see picture below) are a standard, inexpensive 50's design made with elasticated fabric and featuring a simple clasp design,
a distinctive 'S' shaped buckle, formed to look like a snake, which
hooked into an eyelet on the other end of the belt. It was very suitable
for rugged use and is absolutely authentic here.
11
The team line up for your approval, but sadly the bleaching effects of scanning from a cheap, small size magazine and natural ageing mask the most interesting detail. It comes as something of a surprise to see that the instructor is almost dwarfed by his husky charges, it makes their obedience to his erotically motivated exercises rather satisfying. Well, he's smirking about it at any rate. The boys don't seem quite so happy.
It's surprisingly difficult to distinguish faces in these faded images but the student on the far right looks like Fred Collins who we met previously in the Soldier-Sailor set, I think the young man standing next him is Brian Lamprill and next to the instructor (and straddling the horse in picture 2) is (I think) Tibor Urgay, another Royale/Hussar Studio favourite who I haven't featured before. I'm still working on the instructor.
A footnote on clothing: - I think I have mentioned before that Royale provided specially tailored clothing for their models, to accentuate interesting regions of the body. The unsymmetrical positions of the belt loops on the instructor's trousers suggest they've been 'taken in' to display his backside better. But in this set it's the crotch and crack hugging shorts that stand out and you can see that all three students are sporting frontal 'cleavage' as well as rear. There are no revealing belt loops at the front, but in picture 8 above the centre model has an 'offset' rear loop as though it's been altered too. Fred's thigh hemlines, 11 above on the far right, look great but the two centre models' garments look quite odd. It could be that they are just tucked in to show more thigh, but in picture 8 you can see that they are very tight and so short at the back, that the lower buttock cheek is on display. I'm wondering if the baggy frontal effect is partly a result of imperfect 'down-sizing'.
There's probably another factor in play here too. Royale had a trademark technique of wetting clothing to make it cling. It's not so obvious in this set as some but have a look at the shorts creasing in picture 9. Check out also the singlets in picture 11 above. The seams are much whiter than the body of the vest and you can just see a nipple showing on the middleman, both of which could be a result of wetting which would also explain the saggy shorts look - and possibly the glum demeanour of the boys too!
A footnote on clothing: - I think I have mentioned before that Royale provided specially tailored clothing for their models, to accentuate interesting regions of the body. The unsymmetrical positions of the belt loops on the instructor's trousers suggest they've been 'taken in' to display his backside better. But in this set it's the crotch and crack hugging shorts that stand out and you can see that all three students are sporting frontal 'cleavage' as well as rear. There are no revealing belt loops at the front, but in picture 8 above the centre model has an 'offset' rear loop as though it's been altered too. Fred's thigh hemlines, 11 above on the far right, look great but the two centre models' garments look quite odd. It could be that they are just tucked in to show more thigh, but in picture 8 you can see that they are very tight and so short at the back, that the lower buttock cheek is on display. I'm wondering if the baggy frontal effect is partly a result of imperfect 'down-sizing'.
There's probably another factor in play here too. Royale had a trademark technique of wetting clothing to make it cling. It's not so obvious in this set as some but have a look at the shorts creasing in picture 9. Check out also the singlets in picture 11 above. The seams are much whiter than the body of the vest and you can just see a nipple showing on the middleman, both of which could be a result of wetting which would also explain the saggy shorts look - and possibly the glum demeanour of the boys too!
These images are extracted from a 60's magazine spread and I suspect there are others in the set but have yet to find them. I can visualise a follow-up session in which the slacker (Fred Collins) gets punished. Please get in touch if you know more.
If you are interested in the discussion of 'hidden eroticism' in these vintage images, you can see more articles on the theme by clicking the 'hidden eroticism' label at the foot of this post. If you want to see more Royale sets, click on the 'GIU/Royale' label.
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