Mitchell - The Whipping of Squaddie Steve

Mitchell - The Sting Of The Whip

This is a picture from my story, 'Squaddie Steve', it's a scene where Steve is severely tested by the evil Sergeant Tarrant in the Regimental Chapel. The full story with illustrations can be downloaded (free of charge!) as a PDF from my Yahoo! Group - see sidebar to join. My military punishment images of course owe a lot to Royale Studio's and 'Guys in Uniform' pictures from the 60's and 70's but more recently inspiration has flowed freely from the Bound Gods studio.

Tom Of Finland - Tailors and Hidden Eroticism

In my review of Royale Studio's Soldier-Sailor set, picture 11, I remarked how Tom of Finland used the 'man and his kneeling dresser' theme in pictures produced about the same time. The picture I was thinking of is shown below, it was produced in 1959.

Tom of Finland - At The Tailor's

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Inside leg measurement is a classic subject for corny innuendo, Tom's young tailor has a good fistful at the top end of the tape but the young man seems completely oblivious of it. Like Royale, Tom plays down the erotic intent. But this picture is relevant to Royale in another way, as it also contains disguised sexual content like Royale's pictures did. If you don't know the piece already, look at the image on the back cover of the fat man's magazine and you will discover exactly what he thinks of the young man being fitted out. I can't recall any other picture by Tom that has a hidden explicit message like this - but perhaps I've just not spotted them yet. 

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Tom of Finland - Fine Adjustments

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The second 'dresser' picture is from 1963 and, together with the previous picture from 1959, brackets the Royale era quite neatly. This time it's a modelling theme and exploits the idea of a hunk being 'adjusted' by a lesser mortal. Tom uses the clothing in a much more adventurous way. The G-string is extremely revealing and its unconventional strap, made from chain, plunges down between the model's buttocks, creating a sexy rearview which even today gives a bit of a jolt. Note how Tom uses the mirror in exactly the same way as Royale did to provide this second viewpoint. The dresser's adjustments are less intimate this time, but as he bends in his ever-so-tight jeans, his backside seems to have caught the hunky model's eye.

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Tom of Finland - Measuring Up

 

Picture 3 is less well known, a locker room scene whose date I can't discover, but the frontal nudity fixes it later. The fashion looks circa 1970. This picture captures the 'kneeling dresser' pose in classic form and the drawing of this particular young man is rather nice. Tom used submissive kneeling quite a lot around this time in a variety of situations. In the best ones, like 'the careless motorcyclist', the victim is being forced down.

 

This image is a curious mixture of the explicit and the coy. The spectator's cock is rather substantial but points downwards - at one point in the crazy world of censorship this was a genuine yardstick of acceptability. It doesn't really add a lot to the picture but did represent a statement of liberation to it's audience at the time.

 

The proximity of the dresser's face to the jocks equipment is another fairly obvious erotic feature, but what exactly is the dresser measuring? Inches count in this area! What is he doing with his hidden left hand? Probably up to no good judging by the various facial expressions.

The tape measure is quite a useful accessory here, visually highlighting the jocks backside and providing a sense of his being temporarily captured while his 'vital statistics' are assessed.

I have a recollection that there is another picture by Tom on this theme but I haven't been able to find it. It shows a kneeling shop assistant assisting a young man into a very revealing new outfit but in this picture the assistant is very obviously embarrassed. If anyone can help with this, please get in touch with me via the comments feature or the e-mail link on my profile.

Men Sharing Clothes 8 - Brothers Spanked in Underwear

In previous items in this series I played with the idea of models unwittingly or knowingly sharing clothes worn by another man. This group from Captured Guys gets 2 brothers, Hunter and Zack, to pose in the same underwear for bondage and then spanking.

 

 

Hunter gets to go first. The Hanes briefs don't seem to be a very good fit, maybe they belong to his brother, which would explain why he looks so unhappy wearing them. Sisters are noted for swapping clothes, but not brothers. Not like this. Fortunately, once he's bent over the looseness in the pants disappears and he is about to be given other things to think about. In fact, I think he is already thinking about it!

Hunter spanked at 'Captured Guys'

 ~

 

Now brother Zack gets put his privates into the pouch warmed by his brother's gear - and by the spanker's hand behind of course.

He seems quite resigned to his fate, but let's face it, that tape gag means business. Underneath his mouth is wide open and stuffed with something you'd rather not have in there. Still, at least it's not his brother's pants.

Zack spanked at 'Captured Guys'

The boy's are sharing the same spanker's hand as well!

Finally here are the two boys presenting their results so we can compare them. They seem to have got off quite lightly this time.

Two for the family album.

For other articles in this series click on the 'sharing' label below.

Royale Studios 17 - The Soldier-Sailor Set (FJSS) - 9

The FJSS series of 21 pictures reviewed in previous articles covers a lot of ground and it feels as though there must have been many more images produced during the shoot. Maybe they were discarded for reasons of quality or content. Perhaps they were simply kept back for lack of publication space. It's tantalising to think there might be some around today.

Fred Collins (L) and John Skilling (R) Wrestling by Royale Studio

In modern times we expect a series of pictures to end with the men naked and grappling with each other, but the best I can do is to add this one of John and Fred wrestling, not quite nude but nearly. Geeks like me will notice the Royale code FJWR = Fred-John-WRestling.

Fred Collins and Tibor Urgay by Royale Studio

This picture (right) of Fred from a set with Tibor Urgay shows Royale could do upper body shots - and what a body Fred has! We barely glimpsed it in the FJSS set. I suspect the demands of creating special 'hidden' erotic effects with shadows got in the way of highlighting muscularity. Or perhaps the uniforms were thought sufficient by themselves. By the way, I suspect the G-strings here have been 'sanitised' .

John Skilling by Royale Studio 

Here is John Skilling, truly naked and lying on the same wrestling mat as picture 1 above. It's a classic 50's/60's glamour pose, but rather risque without clothes on. 
He looks very cute and urchin-like with those dirty feet. 
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John Skilling, nude by Royale Studio 

Finally another picture of John nude, more classically posed for safety,
but showing off his 'wasp' waist and succulent bottom extremely well.

These pictures give us a glimpse of what is missing from the uniform sets.

I would love to see them recreated by a skilled modern photographer
unfettered by constraints on nudity and eroticism.

For earlier articles in this series click on the GIU/Royale label below

If anyone has better copies of these pictures which they are willing to share 
I would be very pleased to hear from them

Royale Studios 17 - The Soldier-Sailor Set (FJSS) - 8

Royale Studios - Soldier-Sailor 20

In the aftermath of the fight, both men are strung up by one wrist suggesting a punishment for their brawling. They look at each other in a humorous Oliver Hardy moment - 'another fine mess.....etc.' I like the way the ropes create continuity through these final pictures. Bondage was strictly a taboo subject in the UK at this time, but this picture is not so much about immobilisation in order to exploit the captives but about securing them so they don't get into any more mischief. 

Some eroticism derives from their being tethered together, their bodies could be touching but Royale didn't risk that. A modern day photographer free from their constraints could create seriously erotic images from this idea. Sadly once again here Royale pass up the chance to highlight the upper body definition of the models.

Royale Studios - Soldier-Sailor 21

The final picture No 21 shows the pair working together to free themselves and this situation allows them to actually touch, entwine even! Fred's knee is positioned just above the sailor's groin casting a shadow which highlights his bulge. His own groin is being lifted towards the sailors face providing plenty of suggestive material. Sailor John's pose in this picture is sexy and appealing to me for a reason I can't really explain, his low key, natural posing in this set is a subtle delight. 

Part 9 (The Models)
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This last picture in the Soldier-Sailor set brings me back to my opening speculations about connections with the 'Unapproved' set. Compare the pictures, above, from that series with those below.

Royale Studios - two pictures from 'Unapproved'.

 The same uniforms of course with amazing shots of tight shorts. The two men are also tethered wrist to wrist again, with handcuffs in this case. They climb upwards seeking to escape punishment. The similarity of this idea with No 21 is remarkable. If they aren't directly connected they surely must have sprung from the same source. The FJSS storyline of squabbling and punishment would also provide a neat prequel to 'Unapproved' whose opening scenes are shrouded in some mystery. But that's another story!

Read my article on "Unapproved"

For earlier articles in this series, featuring vintage erotic 'men in uniform' photos, click on the GIU/Royale label below

If anyone has better copies of these pictures which they are willing to share I would be very pleased to hear from them

Royale Studios 17 - The Soldier-Sailor Set (FJSS) - 7

Royale Studios - Soldier-Sailor 18

In No 18 the drum is brought forward and it looks as if the sailor has lost the fight, his head is bowed and submissive whereas Fred's open pose is more dominant and his right arm is threateningly poised, suggestive of holding a whip or stick. The sailor appears to be reaching for the rope on top of the drum. Even so, the well-known punishment scene in No 19 comes as something of a surprise. 

 Royale Studios - Soldier-Sailor 19


The complete submission of the sailor in these two pictures has a subtle eroticism for those who enjoy such things (like me!) but there's no disguising the sexual message behind the belting of the his upturned bottom. Spanking images may have been commonplace in the early 60's but not in this sort of context with grown, half naked men.

For physique fans No 19 showcases Fred's chunky body and legs splendidly and for once his posing is spot on. The shadow on the wall behind adds a second viewpoint in a distinctly menacing form. 

The accessories get more than a walk-on part in this picture, the strap in Fred's hand appears to have come from the drum in No 18. Notice that the ropes have also become separated from the drum and now look as though they might even be wound around the sailor's wrists, flirting with another UK taboo - bondage. 

Part 8

For earlier articles in this series click on the GIU/Royale label below

If anyone has better copies of these pictures which they are willing to share I would be very pleased to hear from them

Royale Studios 17 - The Soldier-Sailor Set (FJSS) - 6

Royale Studios - Soldier Sailor 16 

The confrontation hinted at in the last images (14 & 15) develops in these pictures 16 and 17, Fred's smile suggests it's a fairly mild disagreement. The sailor's left hand, arguably miming a cock-pumping action, may offer a clue. Fred's riposte is a pointing finger poised as though to penetrate the sailor's ring of fingers. You can interpret this as an exchange of insults (along the lines of wanker - bummer) or as a more suggestive exchange, but in any event a fight develops in No 17.

 Royale Studios - Soldier Sailor 16

The fighting is purely symbolic. This is the era of AMG whose films and photo stories usually employed amateurish wrestling sequences, partly to camouflage the sexy flesh on flesh images, but also to combat the public perceptions of universal effeminacy amongst homosexuals. Royale's uniforms are intended to create a similar, manly effect and there's usually some male-male conflict in the form of a fight and/or punishment scene.

These are not the best pictures in the set due to the stilted posing and Fred's over-acting but you get a decent view of their outfits in these print quality images and for me the sailor still represents real eye candy in No 16. Royale's lighting here doesn't do justice to his lean upper body muscularity but just look at how it showcases Fred's thighs! The introduction of a military drum adds authenticity to the scene.

Part 7

For earlier articles in this series click on the GIU/Royale label below

If anyone has better copies of these pictures which they are willing to share I would be very pleased to hear from them

Royale Studios 17 - The Soldier-Sailor Set (FJSS) - 5

Royale Studios - Soldier-Sailor 14 & 15

I have expressed before my admiration for pictures 14 and 15 which show the two models shot from between the other's legs. The sailor has now ditched the full length trousers for white shorts which suit him admirably, this is a feast of chunky legs! The low viewpoint enhances this no end of course and the boys have hitched up their hemlines for good measure. The headgear also works well in this image.

The soldier's pose in these pictures is quite aggressive, arms folded or hands on hips (in 15), spoilt only by the slight inward bowing of his legs. The sailor by comparison seems wary, almost fearful - very sexy. The wall shadows, framing the far figure add drama and menace to the scene as well. 

These compositions are so dramatic and arty that you almost miss the 'hidden' sexual ingredients - there are ambiguous highlights on Fred's shorts in No 14. On the sailor's shorts in No 15, a mysterious balloon-shaped shadow created by the multiple lighting (from Fred's head?) suggests the shape of a curving penis. More explicitly, the enticing cleft between the buttocks in both pictures, well defined and perfectly aligned with the other model's head perhaps hinting at fellatio. 

But if you stand back from the detail and just look at the 'shapes' in these pictures, there's another much more subtle erotic message at work in the overall composition which everyone sees subconsciously, and yet without seeing it. The open legs of the models form a strong triangle, overtly suggesting masculinity and solidity of course, but also creating visually a sense of upwards 'thrust'. Placing a figure between the legs creates a dildo-like illusion with the other model's anus directly above at the apex of the triangle, rendered all the more 'vulnerable' by the open-legged stance.

By the time you've got this far, the shape of the beret on Fred's head (left) becomes almost indecent! You can read equally suggestive meanings into the horizontal lines of the sailors cap and his chunky build compared to Fred's more slender outline. I've no idea whether the photographer worked all this out, how much was intuitive, how much accidental, but I think it gives an understanding of how these photographs worked on their audience who were not distracted as we are by the barrage of internet imagery and had time to study the pictures and fantasise. 

This is why they still have the power to intrigue us today, if we take the time to look. 

Part 6

There's a better copy of picture 15 in an earlier article in this thread.

For earlier articles in this series click on the GIU/Royale label below

If anyone has better copies of these pictures which they are willing to share I would be very pleased to hear from them

Royale Studios 17 - The Soldier-Sailor Set (FJSS) - 4

In picture 11 the direction of the plot becomes clear, the two models have swapped clothes.

At one point I wondered if the EX2 designation on the Catalogue page for this set referred to exchanging clothes but I suspect it may just mean Example 2.

Men swapping their clothes is in itself an erotic idea which has quite complex associations to do with shared intimacy, borrowing identities and displaying oneself in a new way. I have a separate series which showcases this theme, click on the 'sharing' tag below for more.

Royale Studios - Soldier-Sailor - 11

John the sailor looks just as good in Fred's shorts as he did in sailor's whites and the submissive kneeling pose is very erotic. He appears to be conducting a close quarters examination of Fred's groin area, hands on waist, poised to pull him closer and perhaps to release the flap. Funnily enough, Fred looks rather nervous!

As an aside, around this time Tom of Finland also picked up on the erotic potential of this 'dressing' theme in a couple of pictures in which a kneeling tailor assists a muscular stud into new clothes (see my later post on this). It's interesting to speculate whether one inspired the other although this is the era when having trousers custom fitted was more usual than buying off-the-peg.

Royale Studios - Soldier-Sailor - 12

In 12 we see the models from the rear. John the sailor's tapered torso is highlighted by the high waist on the shorts, but exaggerated by freak shadowing on his right side as the photographer strives to highlight Fred's rather interesting frontal bulge in the sailor's pants. It's a tight fit, his generous backside is very well displayed. It's interesting to compare this image with No 5 and to see how different the two body/clothing combinations appear

The theme of men swapping one set of clothes for another crops up more than once in Royale's uniform sets, usually in the context of a recruitment storyline (i.e. civilian to military). It's a good excuse for showing flesh but is partly inspired by the National Service era in the UK when all able bodied young men were called up for a period of service in the armed forces. Of course, once you introduce homosexual overtones, recruitment into an all-male service takes on a whole new flavour.

Royale Studios - Soldier-Sailor - 13

In the final picture of this group the boys are undressing again and the shot of the sailor opening the flies on his shorts (which are to be unbuttoned of course not unzipped) would grace any modern photo set. Even in this fuzzy image the definition of his six pack and the curve of the stomach are very sexy. Sailor Fred's packet is indistinct here but would have been interesting in the full print. The naturalistic posing around the drum centrepiece makes a nice composition and it captures an innocent, shared intimacy which many of us will remember from our own early experiences with other men. 

Part 5

For earlier articles in this series click on the GIU/Royale label below

If anyone has better copies of these pictures which they are willing to share I would be very pleased to hear from them

Royale Studios 17 - The Soldier-Sailor Set (FJSS) - 3

In picture 7, both men are wearing tops and this is as fully dressed as they get. It's worth pointing out that while this set appears to show men getting dressed, the purchaser of the individual prints had the option of viewing these pictures in reverse sequence, so the men start fully clothed and gradually loose clothes with progressively more sexual innuedo until they end up naked.

Royale Studios - Soldier-Sailor - 7

Here there's some sort of conversation going on. The subject becomes clear as the pictures progress but it's clear there is a degree of reluctance on the sailors part - which is always good for erotic tension! 

The soldier's battledress top was a style that ended at the waist (like a bomber jacket) and so always had the erotic potential to be worn without the normal accompanyment of full length, somewhat baggy trousers of the same material. His shorts in these pictures, hitched up to give full exposure to Fred Collin's thighs, would have looked startlingly like underwear, producing more of an erotic frisson then than they do today. 

The sailor looks pretty smart in his full uniform (if we overlook the trouser creasing of course!) Royale would have made it themselves. It's reasonably authentic although the black collar ribbon (in memory of Nelson) looks too broad. Like the beret, the British Naval cap is a tricky style of headgear (erotically speaking) but always looks cute tilted forward like this. As you can see, the jumper-style top ends just above the crotch and frames beautifully the undulations in that area! I've never liked the practice of wearing the belt over the jumper but it is militarily a correct way to dress. 

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Royale Studios - Soldier-Sailor - 8

The sailor now begins to undress again revealing his attractive backside to us as he does so. The mirror reflection (possibly assisted by the hazy reproduction) is nicely erotic showing a well proportioned body and attractive face rounded off with a glimpse of flesh and interesting bulges. 

Fred seems a bit of a spare part in this and looks a bit awkward. The jolly grin is meant to reassure censors that there's no funny business going on. But it's no accident that he is placed so close to the sailor's reflection, their legs almost appearing to touch or interlock. The sailor in the reflected image appears to be admiring Fred's rear and becoming aroused by it.

Royale Studios - Soldier-Sailor - 9

Picture 9 is print quality and gives us much the same scene as 8 with a slightly different view of the sailor's midriff and well padded groin area. You can see the front flap clearly here and the curious disappearing belt.

Seen with the addition of the battledress top, Fred's shorts have now taken on something of the appearance of those worn by schoolboys or scouts. Men dressing as Scouts is the subject of other Royale sets, a tricky theme these days but not then. Other than Fred's admiring look and his proximity to the reflection (with suggestive bulge), there was little to disturb the genteel here.

This image is meant to suggest that the Sailor has difficulty removing his top (possibly because it is wet). It is setting the scene for No 10 where Fred gallantly steps in and gives him assistance, providing us with an excellent view of his thighs in the process.

Royale Studios - Soldier-Sailor - 10

The erotic significance of the sailors bent over pose needs no explanation but you should also notice which part of Fred's body he is bending his head towards, it looks almost as if Fred is pushing up to meet it. The sailors hands placed on Fred's waist are intimate in their own way but also produces a suggestive shadow - and is that Fred's balls I see?  

Part 4

For earlier articles in this series click on the GIU/Royale label below

Royale Studios 17 - The Soldier-Sailor Set (FJSS) - 2

My copy of Picture 4 is a full size print and I have to admit this frontal pose doesn't seem very sexy, although it shows off Fred's marvellous thighs and John the Sailor's upper body well. In this image  the models have assumed a military persona. This is the era of compulsory military service in the UK when young men are forced to leave their friends and family and enter a tough all-male environment where they have little freedom and have to do exactly as they are told. Seen in this light the un-military poses and resigned facial expressions make more sense.

Royale Studio - Soldier-Sailor 4

The Sailor's trousers seem just too tight here, they appear have been stuffed but the groin detail is still interesting - is that darker area a wet 'tide-mark? His belt disappears inside the front flap of his trousers for some reason, which doesn't enhance the top line although I can understand the sensuality of that idea. You can see the wet creasing more clearly on the lower leg here. Tucking the trousers inside the gaiters is the correct way to use them, they serve no practical purpose with shorts - except for those who enjoy seeing strappings round limbs!
 
Post Script - Apparently gaiters with shorts was OK, see reader comment below

Royale Studio - Soldier-Sailor 5

Things improve in pictures 5 and 6 as the pair admire themselves in a mirror. Curiously, the reflections of these men (especially Fred, the soldier) look much more impressive and interesting than they did in the straight forward frontal shot of picture 4, even the set of the beret seems more natural. John the sailor's back and bottom look great while Fred's poses show off his shorts particularly well, they curve around the thighs giving them solidity. These pictures are well composed and appealing but there is no lack of suggestive sexuality when you consider the sharply defined ass cracks and the frontal bulges.

Royale Studio - Soldier-Sailor 6

I have seen it said on one blog that the intended recipients of these pictures were contemptuous of the obvious padding and rejected it, but that is to miss the point. It was illegal to sell or buy explicit images or excessively suggestive ones for that matter. The customers may have despised it but they knew it was all they were going to get. They had to make the best of little mounds hidden amongst the swimwear, rejoice in the shared understanding of subversive symbolism and enjoy the game as studios pushed at boundaries with ever more audacious images.

Part 3

For earlier articles in this series click on the GIU/Royale label below

I would be pleased to hear from anyone who has better quality copies of these pictures and is willing to share

Royale Studios 17 - The Soldier-Sailor Set (FJSS) - 1

THIS ARTICLE IS NOW SUPERCEDED BY A LISTING 

AT THE ROYALE STUDIO OPEN ARCHIVE

The FJSS set is a fairly typical example of what we might call Royale Studios 'Uniform' work - they also published a lot of conventional beefcake pictures featuring prominent bodybuilders. These military themed pictures seem quaint and artificial at first sight but closer investigation reveals a strongly erotic content can be as thrilling today as it was then.
 

The opening shot shows the two models posing naked apart from their footwear. The sailor (on the left) is ironing his uniform (yes, with an unplugged, cold iron!). This is studio print and you can immediately see how good the quality of the photography was. Also how well-built the models were, just look at the sailor's back and the soldier's thigh development.

Royale Studio - Soldier-Sailor 1

This nudity would have been a problem in 50's Britain. Muscle posing in swimwear was OK but just putting two nude men together like this, in a pseudo-domestic situation without any pretence of classicism was risky. The positioning of the iron contrives to conceal the naughty bits but this would be regarded as smutty rather than artistic. 

 

Royale tried to disguise the erotic nature of these pictures, but the authorities could hardly fail to notice the positioning of the sailor's grasping hand, right in front of the soldier's groin and the focal point of both men's gaze. I suppose they might just have missed the erotic significance of the iron's pointed shape and the curious resemblance between the lower part of the handle and a man's scrotum, but seen with the right eyes this picture is simulating a jerk-off, plain and simple. 

Publishers did seek to wriggle out of prosecutions with the argument that “evil is in the eye of the beholder” but it didn't work very often, not least because the artifice is very obvious once it is spotted. 

 

The first picture is the only one in Royale's catalogue sheet for this set which shows the models naked where it counts. It's a bit of an 'odd man out'. From the second picture onwards they are both wearing trousers.

As an amateur Royale sleuth , the first picture also stands out to me in another way in that both model's gaiters (the ankle strappings) are light coloured whereas from picture 2 onwards, the soldier's gaiters look dark (as they should do, army gaiters being coloured khaki rather than white, that is for the Navy uniform). It makes you wonder if the first picture really belongs in a different set, but having said that, the ironing table does appear in both pictures 1 & 2, so maybe it's just a trick of the light.

Royale Studio - Soldier-Sailor 2

Picture 2 is taken from the catalogue sheet, so it's fuzzy but this is another great picture. The high waisted trousers show off the sailor's tapered torso rather well but the beret (a tricky garment to wear sexily) is less helpful for Fred's soldier image, try covering the rear overhang with your finger and you'll see what I mean. 
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At first glance it all seems quite respectable, the pose is intimate in nature but has a classical ancestry in studies of the hero being readied for battle. Movie buffs will also recognise the female equivalent (maid dressing mistress) from numerous frivolous comedies of this era. So it's actually a commonplace image. Naturally the implied master-servant relationship would appeal strongly to British sensibilities at this time'! 
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But if you think this picture is just naïve beefcake, look again! John the sailor's trousers are so tight that his balls are clearly outlined and his relaxed open pose seems to offer them up, unguarded, to Fred. A shadow cast by the soldier's arm looks like a cock which Fred is grasping, which the viewer knows he can do, if he undoes the button in his hand and lowers the flap at the front of the sailor's trousers. Clever stuff.

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I have heard that Royale tailored garments to individual models to ensure this revealing fit. The soldier's shorts look as though they have had this treatment too. Royale also soaked them in water to make them cling to body contours, the vertical creasing below the sailor's knee and lack of volume where they tuck into the gaiters suggests this is the case here. 
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The preparation for these sessions must have entailed considerable work and would have made an erotic movie in it's own right! The thought of innocent new models being put through all this unexpected intimacy and awkwardsness just to earn a few pounds is sexy too. That's a theme I follow up in my “Naive Models” series (which can be viewed at the mitchmen archive - see Gallery Hub for link).
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Royale Studio - Soldier-Sailor 3

In picture 3 the 'dressing' roles are reversed with the sailor adjusting his buddies belt. The wet tight clothing shows off his behind, and Fred's also looks good, you can also see some nice musculature in their backs and thighs. The sailor's profile is attractive too, you even get a sense of how sexy the fashionable, quiffed hair was at this time. 
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Fred's pose is a bit stiff and distant, possibly deliberately so, to fend off any criticism of intimacy. There's an element of lens distortion in this picture which increases the separation effect. Royale were probably on safer ground with this one although in the context of the whole set the proximity of hand to bottom is still suggestive, particularly with Fred's backward glance seeming to say 'what are you up to?' There are the makings of a very sexy image here.

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Continued in Part2

For earlier articles in this series click on the GIU/Royale label below

Lightbox Feature

Shafted in the mineshaft at Bound Gods

If you notice something different here it's because I have turned off the 'lightbox' feature which Google recently introduced without telling anyone. It effectively extracted all the pictures in a post and displayed them 'filmstrip style' in an overlay. I don't think it's suitable for this blog where it is intended that you read the text alongside viewing the pictures. I wish computer geeks would stop fixing things that aren't broke!

Update Monday 24th - However I will qualify my criticism by saying I think the lightbox display looks better than the old style 'box in the corner of a white screen' format which is why I haven''t switched it off on my mitchmen.com address. I rarely post more than one picture on posts there.

Royale Studios 17 - Two Mysteries Solved - Part 5

Royale Studios - 'Unapproved' series 1

Above is another picture from the Unapproved School series showing the sailor more clearly.
Is this the same model* as in 'FJSS' below?

Royale Studios - Soldier Sailor (FJSS) Series

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I must admit I am not sure, but it's a tantalising thought!

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The next picture, also from Unapproved School shows the sailor with his cap off.
This is clearly a different man, John Dawes*, another Royale favourite and showing a splendid physique, although Fred Collins' thighs might edge him for sheer bulk. 

* No it's actually David Reid, John Dawes is a different Royale mystery! - Mitchell
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Royale Studios - 'Unapproved' Series 2

Unapproved School was published as two sets and the images show here come from the two different halves. It's conceivable that the models changed between sets, but probably not. 
 

Why does it matter? It's only because the opening scenes of Unapproved School are somewhat incoherent with dressing and undressing and punishments for no clear reason before the escape sequence gets under way (see my previous article on 'Unapproved' for more). 
If the FJSS series is a precursor then it might untangle the 'storyette' a little.
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In my next posts I'll look at the FJSS set and reproduce it with some full size versions of the images.

For earlier articles in this series click on the GIU/Royale label below

Royale Studios 17 - Two Mysteries Solved - Part 4

In my previous post I suggested that the catalogue label 'FJSS' stood for 'Fred and John' the names of the two models. The 'SS' I suspect is simply Soldier-Sailor. This is not just a wild guess. Royale advertisements which I have do mention a Soldier-Sailor set (without showing a sample picture unfortunately). Connoisseurs will also know that there are other Royale pictures circulating on the the internet using this label but they are from a different set 'Unapproved School', you will probably recognise the one below. 
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from Royale Studio's - “Unapproved School”
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You can immediately see a striking similarity to the uniforms used in the FJSS set, (sample below) and the soldier is clearly Fred Collins once again.
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Does this mean the two sets are linked? 
And what about the EX2 bit? 
More next time in Part 5.
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For earlier articles in this series click on the GIU/Royale label below

Royale Studios 17 - Two Mysteries Solved - Part 3

As an aside, the Catalogue labelling system used by Royale Studios was sometimes based on the model's names (for example EAM = Earl Maynard) and sometimes based on the title of the 'storyette' (e.g. NAGA = Navy Gash). I suspect this one, 'EX2 FJSS', is a combination of the two.

The sailor who took my fancy in this set appears in another Royale Studio catalogue as 'JOS', he is shown in the same uniform and posed with the drum, see below.

Royale Studio - JOS - John Skilling?

This is another great 'shorts' picture, showing off the model's trim physique very well. I only wish I could lay hands on a decent copy of it! Cross-referencing the catalogue ID to other pictures in my collection I believe the model's name is John Skilling.The other model in this series is a Royale stalwart, Fred Collins 'FRC' in the picture below

Fred seems to be one of those models who get bigger as they undress, no wonder Royal wanted him to shoehorn his backside into their shorts and other gear! These two must have been great together. So it looks as if the FJ in FJSS comes from the model names. I'll talk about the 'SS' bit in my next post, it leads my little investigation off in another direction altogether! 

For earlier articles in this series click on the GIU/Royale label below

Royale Studios 17 - Two Mysteries Solved - Part 2

Royale Studios - Catalogue Page 'EX2 FJSS'

The Catalogue Page mentioned in my previous post is shown above. I don't know if it has an official name but I call it 'The Drum'. You can see the 'belting over the drum' picture is No 19.

The picture shown at No 15 is one I used previously in my first group of posts about Royale/GIU, namely in the Guys in Uniform post No 10 where I wrongly attributed it to that related studio. The picture came to me with no identifying information and after much thought I guessed at GIU based on the picture quality and the 'through the legs' imagery which I knew GIU used. I was wrong and I'm glad to set the record straight now.

Sailor Confronted - Royale Studio

I really love this picture, so you can imagine my delight when I found a companion piece in the FJSS catalogue with the soldier and sailor reversed - No 14.

In Part 3 I'll talk about the strange catalogue ID and the models before going through the set in more detail with some better images.