Milism reprint

A reprint of the 'long-lost', 2002, Milism article about Royale Studio by Squaddie John has been added to the mitchmen, Royale Studio blog. 

 

It's a review of Royale's modus operandi slightly jumbled up with references to 'Guys in Uniform'. The narrative is somewhat biased towards spanking but also has useful comments about the UK political and social environment in the 50s and 60s, particularly in relation to members of the armed forces. There's also an interesting postscript about the origins of the so-called British Photographers' collection which was responsible for most of the best quality images we have today (like the one above).

 

I have had to restore the illustrations for the article, drawing on title information and my memory of the site, but there are one or two I'm unsure of, so I'm putting out an appeal to any Royale enthusiast who remembers the original article at Milism, to check my reprint and see if they can help with picture identities.

 

My thanks to Squaddie John for giving me permission to re-post it. 

Guys in Uniform - 1 - Double Discipline (Part 'B')

Continued from Part 'A' 

 

Guys In Uniform - Double Discipline B01

The two men under punishment have now put on snug-fitting singlets (or vests) with impersonal numbers on the back. The Instructor has ordered them to lie down, leaving their shorts still lowered, so that their backsides are visible. It's the horizontal equivalent of facing the wall, a psychological rebuke, expressing rejection and isolation. The punisher has put away his cane, but I imagine his tongue can sting these men almost as well.

This photo has a curious composition, with the protagonists confined to the boundaries and a vast empty space filling most of the picture (which I have filled with logos out of desperation!) It is taken from a magazine, part of a montage in which another, overlapping image filled much of that space, see below. The combination of upright and prone figures in a picture is a challenge for any photographer, as Royale Studios also found. However, it seems surprising that the photos seem to have been taken with that marketing scheme in mind. The original photo may amount to more than this, of course, and not be so awkwardly cropped.

 

Guys In Uniform - Double Discipline B02

In the second picture the men have changed out of their shorts altogether, leaving them crumpled at the feet of No 4.  No 3's singlet is very close-fitting, he continues to be the more striking of the pair.

The second stool, last seen in image A03 has been reintroduced. 

 

Guys In Uniform - Double Discipline B03

The two men are ordered to sit on the stools. The corded seats quickly bring new discomfort to their just-caned bottoms. The instructor stands watching them with hands on hip, as if waiting for something. They just hang their heads. Their overhanging bottoms make a strikingly original, teasing image. As if in response, there's a rare sighting of the front of the instructor's shorts, which do not suggest he's totally disappointed with them.

 

Once again, the editor's cropping seems overdone on the right, resulting in another, oddly unbalanced composition. 

 

Guys In Uniform - Double Discipline B04

This unconventional scenario, now takes a new turn. 

It appears No 3 has been detained, kept in after school, as it were.

He slumps on the floor, minus his training shoes, a sign that he's not going anywhere soon. The instructor has also taken off his shorts, as if they are now equals. It hints at a steamy closing ceremony, involving more sacrifice by No 3.

 

In Britain there used to be light-hearted debate about whether, milk should be added to the cup before or after pouring tea. There seems to a similar divide about sex and spanking. And yes, I know that many prefer their spanking without any sex at all.

 

There's another (unavoidable) blank corner here. They all fit together very well in 'Uniform Magazine' spread (shown below). But it's hard to imagine this was all intentional. The uncluttered backgrounds don't help.

 

Uniform Magazine, Vol 3 p41

 

 

Guys In Uniform - Double Discipline B05

 In this picture, it seems that the tables have been turned on the sadistic instructor. Bereft of his shorts (just visible on the floor with the distinctive, black waist band), he rests his forearms on a stand rather like a butchers block, with a padded top set at an ideal height for bending over. A cane stands propped against the side, ready for the arrival of another dispenser of rough justice.

 

Maybe picture B04 is actually showing the waiting room, with both men in line for a painful reprimand, perhaps having been caught having sex after spanking. Maybe this set be named 'Triple Discipline'!

 

 

Guys In Uniform - Double Discipline B06

In this picture we see the instructor slumped on the floor, looking distinctly down in the mouth, if not in other departments. I have sequenced these images to suit my own narrative, since no thumbnail sheets are known for Guys in Uniform sets. I imagined this as the aftermath of the Instructor's supposed comeuppance. Equally, it could be him, still awaiting his turn, after No 3 was summoned in to the Punishment Room. 

 

~

 

There is a further image that doesn't seem to be part of this set, but also features the distinctive vest with coloured hoops.

 

Guys In Uniform -Athlete with Cane

 

This is not obviously the man wearing the hooped vest in the preceding pictures, but his predicament complements my narrative there perfectly. He's strapped to the four corners of a board or box in a way that prevents escape but not all movement. A cane leans against his bottom, an unsubtle clue to the reason for his restraint.

 

He's wearing shorts, which have been hitched-up to provide an open target area. His gym socks have been removed and dropped at his feet to one side. 

 

He's also wearing an incongruous, broad leather belt-cum-corset, with multiple straps at the back. Probably put on him by the men who restrained him. This fetish garment features in many Guys In Uniform sets with leather/rubber themes, but this cross-over picture is usual. It suggests the meeting of two worlds - wholesome athletic activity and dark, secret fetish. 

 

This is an initiation, perhaps or a peeping Tom about to be taught the error of his ways. His expression suggests that he's realised from the restraints and the tightness of his strange garment that this warning is going to be very different to anything he has experienced before.  
 

~ 

 

Preview the next Guys in Uniform set
to be featured at mitchmen.

 

More about Guys In Uniform Studio  

 

Guys in Uniform 1 - Double Discipline (Part 'A')

More about Guys In Uniform Studio  

This series of articles aims to update and extend my original survey of the work of 'Guys in Uniform' at mitchmen

 

Guys In Uniform - Double Discipline A01

Above: An atmospheric staging of a disciplinary session at a military establishment. The two offenders hang their heads, deferring to the punisher's authority and anxious not to aggravate him.

There is a colour variant of this image which reveals that the man in authority here has removed his shorts, they lie on the floor at the back. Apart from that incongruous detail, it seems a logical first image in continuity terms. Like most of 'Guys in Uniform' output, this set doesn't have a discernible storyline.

.

Guys In Uniform - Double Discipline A02

The two men 'assume the position' under the watchful eye of their nemesis, who is properly dressed now, but seems in no hurry to start.

 

The images in this article come from a 'Guys in Uniform' set which I have called 'Double Discipline'. It is probably the best known example of their work - with good reason! The situation of two men in PT kit, up for punishment with a cane, is memorable. You are immediately struck by the tight and very brief, white shorts, which visually are an advance on the efforts of Royale Studio. Of course, Guys in Uniform had the option of using flimsier garments than Royale did in the 50s. 

 

Royale's black and white images of men in shorts were bedevilled by 'white-out' of shorts under the glare of bright lights, erasing the details. The wider availability of colour 20 years later solved that problem, although the bending figure on the left above is a near miss. The pants are lit to show off the target areas very well, and the glimpse of bulges between the legs is amazing. The hems of their shorts show off chunky thighs, while the ankle socks with blue hoops (also classic sports wear in their day) reveal solid calves - these men are fit!

 

Guys In Uniform - Double Discipline A03

The Offender who is first up lowers his shorts and the ritual begins.

The blond-haired man wielding the cane here is not entirely convincing as a military disciplinarian, but I suppose we might regard him as an 'Instructor'.  His skimpy shorts have a thick black waistband rather like those worn by professional boxers. In fact, there's a striking resemblance to a pair of shorts worn by a hunk, who graced the front cover of Zipper 45 a few years later, in 1984 (below). 

 

Boxer on Front cover of Zipper 45

 

Sadly, this man didn't appear anywhere else as far as I know, and the shorts fashion didn't catch on for official contests.  

 

There's a break in continuity in the images we have at this point. You'd expect another picture very similar to No 3, but showing the 2nd offender taking his turn to be caned, a classic 'double'. He does indeed get his lot in the next image, but much else has happened in the meantime...

 

 

Guys In Uniform - Double Discipline A04

In image 4, the first offender has been dispatched to stand facing the wall and his hands have been tied behind his back, suggesting a rebellion might have quelled. His shorts are in a higher position, a concession, perhaps, to allow him to shuffle with dignity. Or perhaps his unsuccessful attempt to 'cover up' was responsible for his wrists being restrained. The Instructor is not yet finished with him, but his raised head suggests he remains defiant.

 

One of the two stools has now disappeared. The remaining man lowers his shorts and takes his turn alone.  

 

 

Guys In Uniform - Double Discipline A05

The indentation visible here shows the instructor means business.  No 2's filthy shoes won't have gone down well with him, and might have earned him something extra. (However, they afford us a convenient way of distinguishing the two men, in the absence of visible faces). 

 

His colleague at the wall dips his head, as if acknowledging his comrade's treatment, but whether in sympathy or sudden dismay on his own account is impossible to say.  

 

Guys In Uniform - Double Discipline A06

 

Having completed his allocation of strokes, 'mister dirty shoes' takes his turn at the wall. His shorts are now down round his ankles. We can only speculate how that came about, but he seems to have decided it prudent to leave them there, so we get to appreciate his chunky backside. 

 

He seems to be standing protectively over a glass of water that appeared in some of the earlier pictures. Finding the session too hot? Well, you might detect a rosy hue to his cheeks, but this studio didn't go beyond mild simulation. No doubt, though, there must have been some playful taking advantage of the situation. Purely in the interests of authenticity, of course.  

 

No 1 is recalled for a second dose, and his kneeling position here suggests he's still not being co-operative. You can see the front of the Instructor's shorts quite clearly here with the badge in the waistband, not to mention a telling bulge underneath. He has a number of tattoos on his arm, which spelt 'rough and butch' in those days. That bodes ill for the rebel.

 

Guys In Uniform - Double Discipline A07

 

You sense a certain extra energy and determination here, as the Instructor resumes his thankless task of correction. His swing is hampered, though, which won't improve his temper.

 

My eye is drawn back to the man facing the wall, he has a beautiful figure and an upright posture (a cross between at attention and at ease) that is very manly. There's a treat for neck freaks, like me (despite a near 'white-out'). 

 

~ 

There's a significant jump in continuity in the remaining images in this series. The two men being punished discard their shorts and put on figure-hugging singlets/vests instead. We don't see the men changing, just the end result. There seems no rational explanation for such a switch, except perhaps to increase the humiliation factor. There are other discontinuities too, so I have therefore separated this group into a separate post - 

Double Discipline Part 'B' 

.

Guys In Uniform Studio (Updated 29 Jan)

Article Incomplete

 

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 had usually featured a gym horse, providing both context and a handy frame for punishment 

 

 ~

*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'  

 ~

 

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 was an interesting, 2002 article by Squaddie John about the history and the connections between the two studios. Formerly published at 'Milism' (now defunct), I have been given permission by the author to reproduce it at mitchmen - read the 'Milism' article.

  

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' experimenter.

 

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! 

~ 

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

Come And Get It!

Royale Studio - Solo Sailor Tied in the Rigging 1

My work on the images of the vintage, British 'Royale Studio' has now transferred to the Royale Studio Blog and Gallery. You can see which series are available to view by reference to the Storyette and Model indexes in the right-hand sidebar there. 

Old 'mitchmen' articles with the GIU/Royale label are gradually being moved and republished there with enhanced images and text. That's in addition to some entirely new sets. 

I would encourage you to access the archive and let me know if you have any comments. If you have images of your own to add or link in, I would be delighted to hear from you. You can contact me via comments most easily, but only an e-mail to my profile page address will enable me to message you back. 

Mitchell of mitchmen (Mar 2025)

~ 

GUYS IN UNIFORM POSTS

Posts about 'Guys in Uniform' Studio, a direct descendant of Royale, are still at mitchmen.
(none of them have been revised or archived yet)

I've deliberately included this nice torso image with the 'Guys In Uniform' logo in the corner. Many of their images circulate with the tag 'MIU' (men in uniform) presumably because someone didn't know 'Guys' was the real ID and thought 'Men' sounded better. Sadly both options are virtually useless for internet search purposes, being too generic and commonplace as expressions, so maybe it's just as well that GIU is often confused with Royale Studio, even though they were 20 years apart.

The mitchmen GIU original series starts at Guys In Uniform 1 - Cane Stripes (revision in hand Jan 2026).

All these articles (old and new) can be retrieved for individual selection by clicking the 'GIU/Royale' or 'Guys In Uniform' labels below.

Ulf's Weird Punishment

While researching the next post in my Ulf Retrospective series yesterday I was amazed to rediscover this image, which connects directly to my "Weird Punishment" set just posted.

Guys in Uniform - Ulf Style

 I don't think there is very much doubt that this picture was inspired by the "Guys in Uniform" image below.
Ulf has made some significant changes, the most important being to convert the looming threat of stinging punishment into an overt act, creating a scene reminiscent of his early 'angry' work.

At the same time he's also made the prisoner more comfortable
by giving him a raised platform to lie on, compare the stressed, grovelling original below.

I sense Ulf's giving the captive the 'Heroic American' treatment here.
The original's a Brit of course.

"Guys in Uniform" Original Image

Ulf made numerous other modifications,
polishing up physiques and clothing and substituting new fetish iconography for old.
His trademark background detailing helps bring the scene to life.

There are pluses and minuses for me, but you can judge for youself
how this makeover compares to the original.

You can view more of the "Guys in Uniform" originals from this series at GIU7

Ulf is not the only artist to be inspired by "Guys in Uniform" imagery,
see my A-Z article on Harry Bush  (yes the bikini boys man!)

Weird Punishment - Epilogue

Some of you may have recognised the Weird Punishment images as being from an old series published by "Guys in Uniform" Studio back in the 70's. "Guys in Uniform" was descended from Basil Clavering's "Royale Studio" with some of the same participants involved in both set-ups. "Guys in Uniform" was even more short-lived and only slightly less notorious for it's attempts to portray the artistry of Erotic Military Punishment.

This set scaled new heights in this department invoking iconography from the dark world of rubber fetish and mixing it with symbols of recent dictatorships for added intimidating effect. This provides a perfect, confusing backdrop for the unfortunate, young hero of the story whose erotic charms are deftly displayed in a succession of tableaux as he plays the helpless pawn of these ruthless exploiters. (This model also appears in another GIU series dressed as a sailor).

The original images in my collection have all been copied from magazines and suffer from excessive greyness and lack of clarity. In my amateurish efforts to 'improve' this I stumbled across the technique used for 'Weird Punishment" which I thought created some dramatic imagery, bringing out hidden detail and highlighting some of the erotic qualities of the images.

Today material from "Guys in Uniform" studio is hard to find on the web. It's name is not sufficiently distinctive for a search engine to pick out (which is why I'm trying to promote the 'GIU' tag) and it's commonly mis-named as "Men in Uniform" (MIU). It's also confused with Royale Studio from 20 years earlier (understandably given their common ancestry and inspiration). You're most likely to track examples down via this route.

I published a series of articles here in 2010/11 covering 9 different photo sets I had identified from GIU with representative samples of the imagery. This set was amongst them and I have now updated the original article with all the images I have from it, so if you want to see the original pictures that inspired 'Weird Punishment' visit GIU7.

Weird Punishment - 3

 8. Condemned

(failing to satisfy)

 9. The Formal Ritual

(solemn and dreamlike ...but) 

 10. The Bite of the Cane

(is quite real - and there's no escaping from it)

 11. Returned To The Cells

(to prepare for next time)

The End

Read this article from Part 1

Weird Punishment - 2

4. The Prisoner Warned Again

(Complete obedience is demanded)

5. The Prisoner's Self-Abasement

(preferable to punishment, but unwittingly provocative)

 6. The Intervention

(This guard's seen enough)

7. A Humble Plea

(for another chance)

continued
Read from Part 1

Weird Punishment - 1

 1. The Prisoner Summoned

(wears his punishment shorts)

2. The Prisoner Assessed

(judged to be fit and suitable)

3. The Prisoner Stripped
(resist and you'll be sorry)

continued

Guys in Uniform 13 - Highlander

Guys in Uniform Studio - Frank

This cheeky chappy looks an unlikely porn star, but he featured in one of the 'Guys in Uniform' Magazines published in the 70s. As you can see, he was called Frank - but so were a good many others of the models for this studio! (see below.) Unlike the Royale Studio, the model identities were shrouded in mystery. Supposedly they were real servicemen and Frank with his tattoos (it looks like he's got the Parachute Regiment badge on his arm) and neat haircut could easily be one, he's certainly not a professional model.

As usual, these pictures feature vintage British military clothing, which naturally has to be removed in short order - except for belt and boots. Sadly, I don't have any pictures of Frank actually wearing the shorts properly, though I imagine they did exist (any help out there?) These self-conscious, half dressed poses don't quite work, although what Frank reveals is interesting enough.

In the next sequence, Frank begins to put on the thick leather apron-like bodysuit (seen here previously in Guys in Uniform - 6, worn by another 'Frank'!) This garment must have been the prized possession of the 'Guys in Uniform' Studio, it features in many of their pictures and would easily qualify as a sleazy entry for my 'men sharing clothes' series. It would have cost a great deal more than the Army surplus uniforms and skimpy athletic shorts which were GIU's usual fare, so I suppose they wanted to make good use of it. In this picture Frank number 1 doesn't seem to be very excited by it, but of course 'flaccid' was the only publishable cock-state at this time - and even that was risky.

 

The numerous straps and appendages on this suit will appeal to extreme bondage enthusiasts, but Frank seems to be having a bit of trouble with them. His tall, lean frame looks good in these shots. The juxtaposition of military and fetish 'uniforms' is strangely atmospheric. Note that his boots look well polished, in true military style.

 

The fight to put it on continues, giving us a nice glimpse of Frank's backside. This is the best picture of the group. The strap diving between his buns makes you want to try the gear on yourself! Frank has donned an authentic Army beret for this part of the shoot, and he wears it like a true pro. It's a hat that can easily make a man look foolish (dare I say silly?) but young servicemen can usually be relied upon to adjust their headgear so it looks rakish.

Frank takes a rest. I've included these less interesting, closing shots for completeness and to give a decent look at the detailing of the bodysuit. The model has been given the 'Highlander' label in this picture, but I can't identify Frank's cap badge as belonging to any of the Highland Regiments (or the Parachute Regiment for that matter). Perhaps some military buff can help me out here!

In this final image, Frank is fully buttoned up but suddenly looks like a freckle faced youth, which is a bit incongruous. These pictures are all scanned from magazines, so the quality it not as good as the originals would have been. This sequence would have probably led on to a 'group' fetish scenario, but I've not been able to track it down so far. 

Go to Guys in Uniform and Royale Studio Conclusion

Guys in Uniform Studio No 12 Changing Shorts

Changing Shorts

 

1

Guys in Uniform Studio - Runner

This group of pictures from the 'Guys In Uniform' Studio features the same model as my last post on GIU, No 11 Military Intimidation in which he threatens a dejected athlete. This time he's in rather nice athletic shorts that reveal a good deal of detail of what lies within. I don't know if this is the Royale wet fabric trick again, but it works for me!

2

Trying to sequence these vintage pictures by reference to clothing is often quite futile, as the photographer clearly tried out various clothing combinations and undress sequences. Here, the model has removed shorts and one legs-worth of shoe and sock. The bare foot in this picture is an angular treat in the Etienne mould.

3

Here he is apparently removing his shorts, or perhaps underwear, but this time with no shoes or socks on at all. Another interesting foot shot. There's a tantalising glimpse of cock in the shadows. 

4

Now we see him removing what looks like a jockstrap, again with no footwear on. It's a bit frustrating for lovers of orderly strip sequences, but the photographer must have had fun directing proceedings.

5

Here he is donning a pair of 50s style soccer shorts and little dick comes out into the open, flaccid, of course - and cut, which is not particularly common in the UK. Around this time there was much pushing of boundaries regarding frontal nudity, for Guys In Uniform it was all in vain.

6

In the final picture, our hero wriggles into a football/rugby style shirt with hoops and button up neck. Not very alluring visually, despite the hitched up leg hems and subtle bulge. Modern day sporting gear is rather more flattering, but the attraction of gays to sportsmen, back then, was equally potent.

GIU Continues in Part 13

For previous posts about Guys In Uniform Studio and Royale Studio, click on the GIU/Royale label below