Vintage Season 8 - Clip Art

Dennis Cole by AMG

In the images we have been looking at so far, the models have been wearing a simple form of posing pouch (like the one worn by Dennis Cole above) where the string is threaded through a turned-over top hem. With this design the material bunches together naturally, particularly in a pose like this and although I'm a fan of G-strings generally, this result is not terribly attractive - although the garment does seem to acquire an intense, sort of 'dirty underwear' quality that will appeal to exotic tastes.

We have also seen in my earlier posts some of the other undesirable side-effects of this design.

Dick Stark by Champion

At Champion Studios it looks like someone dreamt up the idea of preventing the natural 'gathering' of the material at the hem, either by stiffening it in some way or by stitching the fabric at the corners directly onto the string. I fancy this garment, gallantly modelled by Dick Stark might well have been the prototype but even his considerable natural assets can't overcome that washing line effect (and don't you think he knows it!).

There are compensations here for the bulge fancier. If you're thinking that looks like a modern stretch fabric he's wearing, the explanation is probably water. It was frequently used to bring out those hidden charms at the expense of adding discomfort to embarrassment. The material has been stretched tight as well in this picture and you can tell from the shadow on the right that it is standing away from the groin area. This picture would have been censored or seized in the UK.

The two dark lines 'notching' the underside of Dick's sack are probably creases where the fabric comes together at the bottom so that a single back, 'crack' string can be attached. This was sometimes crafted to 'lift and separate' the model's balls (we saw an example in No 6 in this series worn by Marty Shimkus). The odd appearance of these lines may reflect wetting or some other jiggery-pokery that's gone on here. I do find it odd that while there's an authentic-looking shadow on Dick's right leg, there's nothing at all on his left one.

I'll try to include a more flattering image of Dick in a later article! 

Tuck Powell by Champion

Tuck Powell gets the honour of  modelling the improved design with attachments at each corner which prevent any bunching and hold the garment flat. You can see that the tight strings are contributing to this effect as well. It's a matter of taste whether you like this, I confess I generally prefer the 'bag of sweets' effect of the traditional design but the dipping top line here is nice. Tuck was a popular model for Champion studios, we'll see him again, but such boyish looks are out of fashion (out of bounds?) in modern erotic photography.   

Eddie Weller

This example shows the mechanism (if I can dignify it will that label) more clearly. Another youthful model but it's a nice picture, although I suppose the intent behind the chain is rather less than 'nice'!
Hence the thoughtful look.

Rock Granger by Champion

Sporty clean cut images like these were more usual than chains at Champion. 'Rock' Granger (we're in the era of film star Rock Hudson remember) provided a more mature look. How refreshing to see a model with body hair although you can see it's been heavily trimmed above the 'bikini line'. I fancy some of those creases in the G-string reflect laundering without ironing, but it also looks like the water spray's been out again. The plunging triangular shape of the garment accentuates his angled cock here. Towards the end of censorship, the code evolved to allow a certain amount of 'reveal' as long as there was no sexual arousal. A downward pointing cock was supposed to fulfil this requirement but in this case it clearly doesn't. If anything it heightens the sense of pent-up sexuality.

Wally Grimme by Scott

Champion weren't the only studio to deck their models out in this design. This image of the (also pleasantly hairy) Wally Grimme was taken by Scott of London. Scott made a speciality of exaggerated bulges (especially in gym shorts) but in this case it looks all natural. The impression of great size is helped by using a smaller pouch. Since this picture was never going to get into print without alteration he's also made a virtue of highlighting the model's unshaven pubic hair. Private, plain envelope sales were the mainstay of British photographers but this uncompromising approach may explain why Scott's pictures are quite hard to find these days.

Dennis White by Scott

 I'm attributing this picture to Scott as well. It looks like the same garment to me, but has been hoisted higher to  accommodate the model's generous endowment in a more upright position. For me these well-packed pouches work better in erotic terms than the Champion versions. Dennis White is also credited with appearances in some of the Royale Studios' fantasies (click on my GIU/Royale label below for posts on this studio).

Artie Zeller by Lon

 

 I promised more of Artie Zeller and here he is in a photo by Lon. He's also wearing a smaller pouch but the photographer has not tried to create unnatural bulkiness therein. In this photo the garment blends in with the model's colouring and contours creating a harmonious image. I'm not sure if it's a shiny material or has perhaps been doused in body oil. Artie had a great physique. I really like the smooth curves of his muscles, well defined and bulky, but not excessively 'cut' or veined. This type of plumped-up muscularity was a feature of the black and white era and on this model it helps to make the G-string seem less out of place (compare it with the AMG picture of  Dennis Cole at the top).

 

Artie Zeller by Lon

 

I like Artie's physique so much, I'm giving you another dose. If you look closely, you can clearly see through the pouch in this image but it is well disguised and I suppose it's conceivable that it got past the censors. Whether that is down to using a sheer fabric (like nylon) or oiling the cotton is impossible to say but I suppose an unnoticed seepage of oil might make a decent excuse if you got caught out! Either way it's a great picture, artfully posed to create an impression of youthful slenderness rather than muscular bulk.

More next time

Read this series from Part 1