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)
 ~
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