Guys In Uniform Studio (Updated 29 Jan)

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Guys In Uniform - Sailor in the Rigging

 

Guys in Uniform Studio* set up in the mid 1970s, producing sexy pictures with a strong flavour of military discipline. It was much inspired by the example set by Royale Studio in the late 1950s, and the personnel involved reputedly had connections of some sort with Basil Clavering's set-up (see below). 

 

As an example, the photo above directly references the 'Sailor in the Rigging' images of Royale Studio and Hussar. 

 

 

Guys In Uniform - Double Discipline

 Guys In Uniform created many Gym Discipline scenarios which also mirrored Royale storyettes which usually featured a gym horse, providing both context and a handy frame for punishment 

 

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Ever since the release of the British Photographers' collection of Royale and Guys in Uniform images, this Studio has suffered from being called 'Men in Uniform' in some quarters. However, it always used the 'Guys in Uniform' label in its short existence, as shown in the image above. There was never a Studio called 'Men In Uniform'  

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The pictures of both studios pushed at the boundaries of acceptability for their respective times. Royale's beefcake images flirted with homosexual innuendo and sadism, which was strictly taboo in the 1950s Britain. By the late 70s, when Guys in Uniform was formed, gay lifestyle magazines were commonplace and even frontal nudes were permissible (if flaccid). However, the combination of nudity and discipline scenarios' was still highly controversial and problematic.

 

Guys In Uniform - Double Discipline

 This image is similar to Royale discipline scenarios, but they did not show their subjects undressed like this.

 

 

Guys In Uniform - The Investigation

Both Studios openly used genuine servicemen as models, particularly Royal Guardsmen (sometimes in authentic uniforms). This shocked the establishment and provoked police raids to seize their material. In Royale's day, anything to do with homosexuality was hushed up by the press, but in the case of Guys in Uniform there was a full-blown scandal when a tabloid 'exposed' that real Guardsmen were posing for nude photographs in homosexual magazines. 

 

There used to be an interesting article at milism about the history and the connections between the two studios, but the link no longer works. I am presently seeking the permission of the author to reproduce it here. PENDING

 

Guys In Uniform - Cover of Uniform Magazine, Issue 2

 

Like Royale and Hussar, Guys in Uniform supplied their images to the Gay Magazines of their time - Him, Playguy and Zipper. Many of them were printed in colour. They also published 3 issues of their own 'Uniform Magazine' (above). Surprisingly, though, it only had black and white photos.

 

Guys In Uniform - The Harness

Guys in Uniform ventured into one area where Royale and Hussar had not dared. This leather harness/apron was part of a provocative (for its time) exploration of leather and rubber fetish, a subject which formed a major part of their output. 

 

Royale Studio - Man wearing a Leather Harness

 

Recently, a solitary image has come to light suggesting Royale had a similar harness, but images of it were never published at the time. This photo formed part of the Bonham's sale of photographs by Basil Clavering in 2021. 

 

The saleroom stated in their prospectus that the collection of hundreds of Royale Studio images had been "acquired by the present owner in Notting Hill in the 1980s, from a fan of Studio Royale (sic) who had tried unsuccessfully to mimic its success". This latter reference sounds like the 'Guys in Uniform' experiment.

 

Royale did publish a series of fetishistic images with models wearing pouches made from chains, but the Dolphin set 'Leather Merchants' seems to be the limit of their venture into the leather scene.

 

Dolphin Photography - Leather Merchants

More to come

watch this space! 

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View the mitchmen review of Guys in Uniform pictures in 13+ Parts