Guys In Uniform Studio (Updated 14th June)

Article Incomplete

 

1. 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. The photo above directly references the 'Sailor in the Rigging' images of Royale Studio and Hussar. 

 

 

2. Guys In Uniform - Double Discipline

 Guys In Uniform created many Gym Discipline scenarios which also mirrored Royale storyettes, but without the gym horse, which had provided both context and a handy platform for punishment in the earlier images. 

 

 

3. Royale Studio - 'Through the Legs' pose from 'Soldier-Sailor'

 

Other images copy the striking 'through the legs' poses which were a feature of Royale's work (notably Soldier-Sailor). I tend to think Royale derived them from cinema, 'film noir' advertising. See 'Military Intimidation' for an excellent, Guys In Uniform example. 

 

 

4. Guys In Uniform - Caning by Numbers, 'Dunces'

The creation of Royale-inspired imagery seems to have peaked with a set (which I have called 'Caning By Numbers' since GIU don't seem to have given them names). Although their imagery is new, it seems to closely copy the Royale Storyette 'Tough Schoolmaster', notably including the use of archaic dunces caps. At the time of writing, I am still drafting 'Tough Schoolmaster' and heavily revising my article about the 'Caning by Numbers' set to cross-reference the similarities. (This link presently takes you to the old article, but will be updated).

  

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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.

 

5. Guys In Uniform - Double Discipline

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

 

 

6. 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 public scandal when a tabloid 'exposed' that real Guardsmen were posing for nude photographs in homosexual magazines. The specific images concerned were those of the 'Caning by Numbers' series, image 4, above.

  

 

7. Guys In Uniform - The Harness

Guys in Uniform did venture into one area where Royale and Hussar had not dared - Leather and Rubber fetish. The leather harness/apron shown in the picture above was part of a provocative (for its time) exploration of leather and rubber fetish. It was a subject which formed a major part of Guys in Uniform's output and they developed the visual language of domination and submission in a way that goes far beyond what Royale did, a contribution to the leather fetish scene that is probably more significant than it is given credit for.

 

 

8. Royale Studio - Man wearing a Leather Harness

 

Recently, a solitary image has come to light suggesting Royale had a similar harness (above), but if they did, 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 which I have identified* as being part or all of the British Photographers Collection, sometimes known as the Originals (*see postscript in the Royale Numbers article). However, this collection also included pictures from 'Guys in Uniform' (see preceding paragraph in that Numbers article) so the attribution of this image to Basil Clavering by Bonhams was probably a simple mistake.

 

Interestingly, 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 very much like the 'Guys in Uniform' producer.

 

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

 

9. Dolphin Photography - Leather Merchants

More details pending

 

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The Guys in Uniform Business

 

Ever since the release of the British Photographers' collection of Royale Studio and Guys in Uniform images, (Source 1) 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 below and image 2, above. There was never a Studio called 'Men In Uniform'  

 

This misconception seems to have originated from the publication of the British Photographer's collection, since the originator gave some of his scans titles beginning with MIU. An interesting, 2002 article by Squaddie John about the history and the connections between the two studios gives an account of how this came about. Formerly published at 'Milism' (now defunct), I have been given permission by the author to reproduce it at mitchmen - read the 'Milism' article. 

 

 

10. Ad for Guys In Uniform in 'Him Exclusive' Sept 1975

 

Strictly speaking, 'Guys in Uniform' was a product of 'Studio 57', run by Charles Koestler and based in Linden Gardens, Notting Hill. Some of their advertisements showed this link. This ad also shows they were using the same marketing technique as Royale - 'selection' sheets from which clients could choose which prints they wanted to buy.

 

In a different ad, GIU announced that they had compiled two selection sheets as an easy way to order, emulating the Royale catalogues. It was a sales methodology that was becoming outdated by then and none of these selection sheets seem to have survived. It's not known if they were able to secure an income stream from them.

 

N.B. This advertisement was originally published in black and white, I have added the colour using AI.

 

 

11. Guys in Uniform Feature in 'Q International' v1 No3 (1976)

 

Like Royale and Hussar, Guys in Uniform supplied their images to the Gay Magazines of their time - 'Q International', 'Him', 'Playguy' and 'Zipper'. We know that 'Him' paid for them and provided free advertising (from Daily Mirror 20/10/75). Many of the illustrations were printed in colour, which was not affordable in the 1960s for Royale. Unlike Royale, they don't seem to have reached out to US magazines, a link-up with 'Drummer' might have transformed the business. 

 

12. Guys In Uniform - Cover of Uniform Magazine, Issue 2

 

Guys in Uniform also published 3 issues of their own glossy 'Uniform Magazine' (above). Surprisingly, though, it only carried black and white photos, although the ad above (image 10) makes it clear that they were selling colour prints.

 

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More to come

How it ended 

watch this space! 

~ 

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

AI Art by DirtyMocchaBB -2

DirtyMocchaBB - Let Me Finish Reading This Book

As a seasoned, much decorated veteran, Tim was irked when his new Commander ordered him to wear skimpy shorts at all times while on duty. Reading through the Unit's Manual on Disciplinary Procedures, he began to understand why.

 

DirtyMocchaBB - No, Please Don't Pull My Pants Down

 It was an elite unit, so discipline on the base was tight. 

Dawson knew what to expect when he got back late from leave. 

The Guards seized any opportunity to practice their rope work,

 as a preliminary to questioning prisoners.

 

DirtyMocchaBB -You Can Keep Me Tied Up Like This

 Once they had a man restrained, the security squad was noted for its thoroughness, stripping the veneer of defiance from offenders. They didn't use kid gloves. In fact, they didn't use gloves at all, which were not deemed to be in keeping with the masculine ethos of the unit. Consequently, when drugs were suspected, not every one was keen to follow investigatory procedures to the letter.

 

see also the sequel at 'X' 

 

 

DirtyMocchaBB - That Is Cutting It Too Close

Trained to resist severe interrogation and pain if captured, these elite soldiers were often drafted in the Army's own, sometimes fanciful, research programmes, as guinea pigs. Knowing how the Army treated their own men, they were never quite sure whether they'd get out with everything intact.

 

 

DirtyMocchaBB - Doc help Me, I'm Getting Bigger

Another quest by the Army to develop 'Super Soldiers' using modified hormones was cancelled after it resulted in uncontrollable levels of fraternisation between the men in the barracks.  

 

The researchers were loath to sacrifice their work and took the opportunity to sell the formula on to illicit, civilian clinics. Unfortunately, the operatives there often lacked the necessary expertise in dosage, with predictable results.

 

 

DirtyMocchaBB - Being A Doctor, I Love Hunky Men

Embarrassing rectification episodes frequently followed in more mainstream, (and supposedly reputable), medical establishments. 

 

Bikers are much misunderstood creatures, most of them are shy, silent types, not hell-raisers. Fond of the company of men but wary of women. So, when Jim's 'enhancement' went wrong, his embarrassment in front of the female Doctor was off the scale. 

 

Already a great looker, that trait made him even more attractive, especially to maternal ladies. But it did not attract much sympathy from this ultra-professional and slightly disreputable practitioner, not known to pass up an opportunity to see a man naked and nervous. 

 

I'm glad to say that this artist's fem-dom imagery does not feature scanty clothing or luscious seducers. 

 

 

DirtyMocchaBB - Disgusting Behaviour, Shall I Strip You Here?

It has to be admitted, that some biker recipients of the faulty hormone therapy developed behaviour of a most regrettable nature,  in the worst traditions of 'shock 'em', antisocial activities - like riding their bikes into convent churches, for example. 

 

They were not the first men to discover that the so-called weaker sex often has hidden steel. Far from being upset and intimidated, the Nuns called the Police. The bikers were arrested by a female cop leading a specially set up shaming squad, who arrived complete with lights and camera to record the bikers' humiliations. Which were to be slowly stripped of their leathers and much else in front of their victims.

  

 

DirtyMocchaBB - The Biker's Convention

When the Biker's convention rolled into town with the usual cacophony of noisy, stuttering exhausts, the Women's Guild decided to take action. Squads of women, staked out the Hotels and targeted those men with particularly offensive behaviour.

 

A group of three hairy beasts were cornered in their room by stern old ladies and quickly turned into pussies. The bikers were forced to strip off their smelly leathers and don matching, red underpants. Then they had to crawl across the room to kiss their own boots, newly requisitioned by their elderly, lavender-scented tormentors. 

 

 

DirtyMocchaBB -Men Loving Another

While this mayhem was going on, two half-naked bikers escaped from their room and cowered in the showers, where they discovered mutual support mechanisms that would have risked them being booted out of their Club if any of their comrades had seen them.  

 

I find this image highly erotic. If the boots are cropped off, the pair morph into an artistic diving pair, sexily consoling each other after an 'off' dive.

 

  

DirtyMocchaBB -Please Let Me Go, I'll Do Anything

The police did nothing to intervene with the bikers, they were too busy with apprehending young, speeding motorists who were much easier to deal with than rampaging women and rowdy, motorcycle gangs. The younger generation could usually could be relied upon to compliantly provide innocent entertainment into the small hours before being released, without charge. 

 

DirtyMocchaBB -I Will Enjoy Taking Off Your Clothes And...

Most of these young men kept silent, knowing that an unsympathetic 'Serves you right' or an even worse (painful) fate awaited them if they revealed their indiscretions to their parents. 

Some Fathers who did learn of their son's sordid experiences, however, took exception and then revenge. Relatively innocent young cops on night patrol found themselves mysteriously targeted as surrogate examples and removed to a place of captivity without benefits. 

DirtyMocchaBB - I Love All That Fur On You

Some captive cops found their treatment at the hands of irate Fathers (and sometimes their sons too) less unpleasant than might have been expected. It was only afterwards when they realised there might have been cameras recording all their responses that they started to feel uncomfortable about it and anxious for their careers. 

 

 

DirtyMocchaBB - A Kiss Is Just A Kiss

Maybe a kiss is just a kiss, but some kisses are more intense than others. This seemingly chance encounter between a muscle hunk, minding his own business and an opportunist passer-by, oozes with erotic appeal. An unlikely pair on the face of it, each feeling out the other, perhaps taking the first step into a passionate affair, as time goes by. The stereotyping is daring and very powerful. 

 

DirtyMocchaBB - Guess What's Coming Off Next

Room Service never used to be like this, but maybe I've been going to the wrong hotels! I wonder what else is on the menu? It looks like touching is 'off' tonight, but imagine having a cutie, bell boy stripping off for you in your bed. This is a marvellously understated image leaving the viewer to imagine how things will progress. 

 

DirtyMocchaBB - The Coach Enjoyed His Inspection

 

How To Get Into Tight Pants if you've got a big backside.
Get the coach to give you a hand, of course.
But unless you want to curry favour with him, 

be alert to his famous, underhand tactics.

 

 

DirtyMocchaBB - I Must Find The Secret Codes

This artist's work is sprinkled with really attractive, non-erotic images, like this one of a (hunky) adventurer seeking out a clue to an ancient, lost treasure in a dusty, old library. The atmosphere and colouring is terrific. The symbolism of the shaft of sunlight is a trifle corny, but great visually. 

 

DirtyMocchaBB - No-One Can free You From My Spell

The previous picture and its colouring co-ordinates nicely with this image that references the legendary genie in the lamp of '1001 Arabian Nights'. 

 

The neat twist here is that the servant of the lamp does not live inside it as some airy-fairy magical vapour, but is, in effect, the lamp's companion, guardian, lover even. In other images of this set, the servant has the lamp's sinuous spout in his mouth as if he is sucking it. 

 

It looks like a very valuable lamp, too. Is this the secret treasure the adventurer seeks, and if he finds it will he, too, become enslaved?  

 

~ 

DirtyMocchaBB posts at Deviant Art 

AI art by JovialDragon777

Jovial Dragon777 - Subject A301

As his name implies, JovialDragon777 has a light-hearted approach to his fantastical situations. In his 'Subject' series, he documents the reactions of men, restrained to face unspecified trials. One involving what looks suspiciously like a hairdrier in the example above. This subject appears to have arrived on a trolley, which is seen folded down while he takes his turn on the cross. He's still standing on the trolley platform. 

The whole series has been given a subtle Christmassy flavour, which makes perfect sense in the context of publication during the festive season. However, linking to the season of goodwill will seem a cruel irony during the rest of the year. 

 

Jovial Dragon777 - Subject J209

The extensive cabling leaves little doubt about the agent of discomfort in this example. The purpose of these trials, ostensibly, is to select and develop a cadre of recruits able to undertake the most demanding of 'missions'. The poster on the wall, bluntly points out the criteria to the latest prospect who is in the process of failing his test miserably.

 This artist takes a great interest in styling, there seems to be a 'Jules Verne' flavour in the imagery here (as in Hollywood's interpretations of the great author). The Victorian-style, pseudo-scientific underpinning of the exercise is reflected in the assistant diligently making notes at the side. There's a corresponding, low-key element of steam punk in the background detail.

 

Jovial Dragon777 - Subject G888

 This artist has eclectic tastes and his examinations deal with men of all ages, builds, and skin colours. This is one of my favourites, the strongest of stereotypes, most likely to succeed, you might think. The steel collar certainly fits his persona more than the other subjects here, but he too is about to be presented with his own nemesis. Possibly one not on the official test schedule.

The unusual restraint arrangement, utilising a tilted table, creates a sense of instability for the captive and his struggling makes him seem energetic and defiant, adding a great deal to his character and the drama. The scientific samples in the wall cabinets imply a cold, scientific motivation behind all this, but the behaviour of the lab staff is less objective.

 

Jovial Dragon777 - Subject X001

There are presently 19 other pictures in the 'Subject' series in which the artist explores other, more exotic ways of testing a man's mettle. In this case, it's the Tentacled Graspmoor. The X-spread vulnerability of the subject as he 'faces' this challenge, suggests the creature's forte is not so much grasping as probing. 

 

The note taker seems more at risk than him in the image above, but I dare say that the experimenters have a way of drawing the creature to the intended quarry. Perhaps 'scenting' of the target is the purpose of the object in the lead technician's hand, which might otherwise be mistaken for a microphone or babies rattle.

 

Jovial Dragon777 -Autumn Crush 006

This artist's back-catalogue is loaded with the usual AI fare of beautiful, muscular men, but his 'Autumn Crush' series is a particularly arty and colourful collection. He makes these models work for their eyeball time, sometimes spicing their poses with humorous, erotic innuendo, as in the double spouted, tea/coffee pot above and the more ambiguous object in the image below.

Jovial Dragon777 - Autumn Crush 035

There's a delicious vulnerability and neediness in this man that is unexpected in one so remarkably handsome. We find him passively communing with nature and goodness knows what else. The pumpkin stalks seem to be waiting in line for their turn, or maybe it's just excitement. 

 

Jovial Dragon777 - SpaceSubs 36

 Spacesubs is a delicious fantasy featuring men, often characterised as sports men, who have been abducted in a Jules Verne-style spacecraft and find themselves alone with a character dressed in a Venice Carnival mask and little else. Unreality, isolation with a mad man and fear of flying combine to make in a complex fright situation. His anxiety might also be related to being restrained with his sports top still on and nothing down below. It looks like he can rule out being ransomed.

 

Jovial Dragon777 - SpaceSubs 040

In much of Jovial Dragon's art, naughtiness is implied but not actually shown. This SpaceSub has clearly had sight of what is in store and it's not table-top soccer. A big, mature man, he's about to have his orbit extended. Unfortunately, the nearest help is thousands of miles away.  

 

Jovial Dragon777 - SpaceSubs 017

 

More sinister possibilities are seeded here. The bizarrely masked captor gently touches his subject's back, but since he's dressed in leather fetish regalia, this approach doesn't suggest a cuddle party is pending (even if his leathers are brown).  

My captioned variant rules out the simply lascivious option.

 

 

Jovial Dragon777 - SpaceSubs 032

I particularly like this hunk, in a similar leather harness, diligently recording the bewilderment of a basketball player who has yet to discover the full range of discomforts available on this vessel.  You will observe that the other illustrations suggest there is a whole fleet of Vernsian spacecraft out there, waiting to pounce on subjects of interest.

  

Jovial Dragon777 - Xibalban Dreams 011

In Xibalban Dreams, we see idealised men elaborately clad in ironmongery, roaming the mysterious ruins of their ancestors, now engulfed by the forest. Searching for the lost key, perhaps.

 

Jovial Dragon777 - Xibalban Dreams 07

 The 'noble savage' gets a bad press these days, but shorn of its derogatory colonial connotations, it's an ancestry any man could be proud of. Catastrophe may have overtaken his civilisation, but its crafting skills and impressive genes live on in this survivor.

Jovial Dragon777 - Xibalban Dreams040

 A device like this adorned some beefcake models in the 1950s as photographers sought a sleeker alternative to the dowdy, posing pouch. Their solution was clenched between the cheeks*, this one seems to rely on some other form of support. Possibly internal? A little impractical for the jungle, I would have thought. How would he cope if he was jumped by some sort of forest creature?

*See Royale Mechandising post for context 

~

 Jovial Dragon777 posts at Deviant Art,
more of his work and a link next time 

Art by Nevermoredesign

Inspection

There's a mysterious, dungeon-like atmosphere in this image. A muscular stud is secured in a pillory device. His rear end is being examined by a much bigger man, wearing a ritualistic mask. 

 

Crated, Trained

Another image of trapped muscularity. This man's collar is a mark of his status. The uncompromisingly strong iron gate that contains him shows respect for his strength but neutralises it.

 

Sub2

This artist looks at the more arcane activities of leathermen at play. This piggybacking harks back to archaic practices of servants transporting their masters around.  

 

Focus

 'Focus' by this artist depicts the notion of service in a more conventional manner, with a chained slave on his knees about to worship his Master's prized possession. 

Link to original image

 

Exposed

In this image, the artist depicts masculine power of a different sort, with the subject's flamboyant hair and lean physique suggesting streetwise wiliness and earthiness. He confidently removes his clothes in a public toilet. Anonymity is the custom here, and that gives power and freedom.

  

Support

This picture of a man loitering, brazenly naked, in a public alleyway is simple but powerful. Presumably it's a place that he knows will only be frequented by other men who will appreciate his seductive display. He offers himself but his boldness will intimidate some. 

 

Windows

This image seems to show a more organised and intense approach to the same transaction. Rent boys gather at an open window, not just showing their beautiful bodies, but projecting lust and sexual challenge. There's a slightly demonic cast to their expressions that suggests danger lurks within, despite the lure of sexual availability.

There are historical precedents to this imagery 

 

Three

You might sense a more clandestine demon lurking in this image. A man whose dark looks and personality seems to have brought him a pair of admirers jockeying for his attention. He encourages them both with a hint of pleasure to come, but they are not the focus of his attention. He is calculating.

 

Surrender 2

This image (possibly by a different artist) combines the two themes of dungeons and demons. It also seems to express two extremes of desire. A young man with a (possibly naive) interest in the black arts of S&M is being overwhelmed by a hardened expert. His bite condemns the young experimenter into a lifetime in his thrall. 

This scenario suggests a more believable interpretation of who seduced whom in the garden of Eden by taking a bite of the juicy offering.

 

Devil's Due

The title of this dramatic, demon piece suggests it is the inevitable price of bartering with the devil, but there is a sense of naive innocence in the young man's carefully trimmed beard. I suspect some of the toughened characters in this artist's work might see this as a romantic seduction, albeit one that lays bare the pecking order, as it were. Even this celebrant seems to be ecstatic rather than chastened.

 

Cave Troll

The same cannot be said of the hero in this image, which seems to celebrate the disillusionment of good intentions. This Knight Adventurer had no doubt set out hoping to do good by slaying some demons and monsters. Instead, he ends up getting stripped of his protective armour by one and getting the rough end of his stick. He doesn't seem too comfortable with this outcome. 

 

Damned

The title and soaring gothic background here seems to express the conventional, religious interpretation of demons being the agents of eternal, unspeakable punishment. Looking at the damned man's face, though, you can't help thinking it's all rather tongue in cheek. He seems to be not so much suffering, as savouring it to the full. His body language suggests willingness, too. 

But it's still unspeakable as it happens.

 

Dark Desires

 The title of this, similar image recognises better the dilemma of pleasure and punishment. The spikes in the background and suggestion of caging widen the options for both. The devil is bigger here, his hands gripping the human and firmly holding him down. It's a particularly explicit expression of the domination which pervades this artist's work. We can't see how the devil's 'victim' feels about this, just that he's braced himself. Damned if you do and damned if you don't, you might say 

 

Home Grown

This murky image also seems rather like a depiction of damnation, but the title suggests a Sci-Fi creation scenario. Despite the foetal position and umbilical connections the fledgling seems remarkably well-developed, tattoos and all, and yet he's still dependent and controlled, so it's not such a different subject after all. 

There's some clever assembly of imagery to create this storyline 

~ 

'Interface', another picture by this artist that I've posted at 'X'  seems to blend Sci-Fi and horror. It shows another, attractive, young man being overpowered by skeletal robots with glowing skull eyes.   

 ~

 

Tight End

What a great backside! The pun in the title of this picture is not new, butt I don't think I've seen it illustrated so precisely or alluringly before. Nor have I seen such a calculating temptation portrayed in a Locker Room context, it's usually the domain of manly posturing, casual nudity and furtive, stolen glimpses. This footballer has a scary look that links with the demons of other pictures and the challenge of the boys at the window. You can't be sure whether it's an inviting dare or a warning.   

 

Traffic Stop

This image suggests common ground between the uncertainty of the locker room and police stop scenarios (with another, mixed pun in the title). The body language is not threatening here, but the sun shades make it hard to be sure. 

Nice body curves

 

~

 

Sorry, I don't have a link for this artist.