This has to be one of the most famous bondage images of all time, from an era when bondage and nudity were both still not quite respectable. I imagine most of my older readers will have vivid memories of seeing it for the first time. Even today, it's stark simplicity remains a classic rendering of what bondage is all about.
It inspired the lead picture in my recent Deon post
If you think the fluffed up hair and clone-y moustache mars the original, the naughty photo-shopper who transplanted a celebrity head onto it created a variant which seems virtually timeless*.
*Although I suppose the day will come when exuberant head hair is once again the must-have styling for a real man!
To give credit to the original shoot, it has other bondage shots of equally high quality.
This image from the opening sequence is a masterpiece of understatement
with the subject standing head bowed facing the wall like a naughty schoolboy.
His broad shoulders however tell us that he is an adult man of some substance.
With wrists already tied, he seems totally resigned to his fate.
His half-lowered jeans signalling that it will be a humiliating one.
He turns at the approach of his captor, revealing a chunky physique
and a libido apparently already simmering with excitement.
I guess in anticipation of what might be in store for him.
This shot shows a face that's seen many experiences. These images, however, come from an era of true leather lovers who cared not a jot about the superficialities of appearance, but about a man's inner strength and ability to perform under pressure.
It's a pity this image is not in colour because it's equally worthy of the accolades of bondage lovers.
Stripped of his remaining clothes our hero has been further restrained at elbow and ankle.
Parked on the floor, completely helpless.
I suppose you might call this style of bondage 'rustic'.
There's minimal elaboration of the roping,
none of the sort of complexity that characterises shibari.
No artiness about the knotting, just the basics required for the job.
This image was the first sight I ever had of this series and it was hidden away, one of 52 male images in a novelty pack of 'saucy' playing cards. I can't remember the denomination (the 8 or 10 of something) but it was the only one depicting bondage in the whole pack, many of them were not even nudes.
What was so astonishing was that this wasn't even a run-of-the-mill bondage image, his balls are tied to his feet for goodness sake - and in tension, although I was too young at the time to fully grasp the full significance of that detail.
The model's face, burdened with the distorting effects of a gag (and dodgy hair style), does not exactly enchant, which is a shame because he has a beautiful, softly undulating physique gleaming with nervous perspiration and topped by remarkable square-cut pecs.
This black and white variant serves him better, I think and diverts attention to his groin area where there is another notable size effect. You might observe that the coiffuring at this end is 'au-natural' and untamed, in contrast to his lovingly layered top mop. He would probably sniff at modern, trimmed pubes but to me his own cock-crown cries out for a close encounter with a razor to better align the area with his hairless torso.
There's nothing like a 'little boy lost' look to bring out the helplessness of a man in bondage.
But what a man he is, his pecs positively loom in this shot.
This is a rarely-seen image from the shoot,
a study in predicament contemplation.
Somehow it brings out the incongruity of his haircut
Good balls shot too.
The captive is released for the closing sequence and left to ruminate on the experience.
Paying overdue attention to a cock that has been simmering manfully throughout.
Although I dare say the photographer lent a helping hand to keep him going.
I've wondered about this model's identity for many years. Some magazines tagged him as 'Hal' but it wasn't clear if that was his 'real' name or invented for the bondage narrative. Quite by chance while preparing this article, I stumbled across an identification at Tim in Vermont and that led me to the picture below at Adonis Male
That's pretty clear now!
My next project is to identify the model in the picture I have christened as 'My Initiation',
a post which I've recently updated. There is some similarity there seems to be a disparity in model ages and build.
I'd welcome comments from those better informed than me.
The mitchmen, 'Vintage Bondage' Series:
- Hal Paul
- Mikey by Loquillo (Bound and Gagged)
- Dean Spencer (Zeus)
- Jeff Golden (Bacchus)
- David Stark (Zeus)
- Jack Wrangler (Bijou)
- Bo Richards aka Ryder Knight (Zeus)
- John Winship (AMG, 1-off sample in Vintage Season No 11)
- Leroy Nelson
- Mark Nixon (WPG)
- Leonard Chambers (AMG)
- Vintage Bondage Blog (feat. Fred Halstead, Jack Wrangler + ano)
- My Initiation (William Higgins)
- Royale Studio series No 17 (Soldier-Sailor, notable for it's asses in tight shorts)
There's also some retro stuff in my Muscles and Rope series, notably No 11 (Steve Landless by Zeus), No 15 (Robert Black at CanAm & Beau Hopkins at Zeus), No 19 (Can-Am) and No 20 (Rocco De Vega, Zeus).
Or simply click on the 'bondage' label at the foot of this post!
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