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| PT Class 01 by Hussar |
I have now completed the upgrading of images of the 'PT Class' storyette and reposting it to the Archive. I should say 'playlet' since this was a Hussar branded set and that term was one of the ways they differentiated themselves from Royale.
More at the P.T Class Profile page
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| Royale Studio advertisement in Vim Vol 5 No 11 (Nov 1958) |
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Man's World Dec 1957, Royale's First Ad |
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| Royale Studio - 'Unapproved' 1958 |
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| Don Avard by Royale Studio 1958 |
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| Royale Advert in Body Beautiful 2 (1958) |
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| Royale Studio ad in Tomorrow's Man (Aug 1968) |
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| Royale Studio ad for Limey and Yankee (1-ARHP) 1959 |
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| Royale Invent 'Storyettes' |
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| Dolphin Photography launch spread 1960 click to enlarge |
In 1960, the Dolphin name was launched with this full page advertisement (above, right) in Man Alive (August edn). It promoted the "The Thieving Cowboy" series by Tom of Finland which, they said, had been "expressly drawn" for Dolphin, implying something of a coup.
Dolphin was also represented in the editorial pages of the magazine including one picture (opposite the ad, above) of Dennis James clad, Royale style, in exceedingly tight football shorts. You can see it was paired on the page with another soccer-themed picture, but one that was attributed to Royale.
Dennis James (aka Dennis White), was a established and popular physique model and there were two more pictures of him in that issue. Once again, one of those pictures was attributed to Royale, the other to Dolphin. It doesn't seem that there was any intention to differentiate the two 'brands' at this point.
60.2
*There was until recently a pub called the Dolphin two doors down from 110 Denbigh Street, it's a modern building but quite probably replaced an existing pub of the same name. One wonders whether Clavering and Parkhurst hatched their plans for Dolphin there.
It's also possible the name Dolphin was inspired by Dolphin Square an up-market apartment building also close by. It was built as a garden square and thanks to its proximity to the Houses of Parliament has been home to many MP's and prominent people over the years, including Princess Anne. Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davies of the Profumo scandal were also residents there and John Vassal, the homosexual, Soviet spy was arrested there in 1962. It's been called 'The UK's most notorious address'
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| Dolphin Photography launched with Leather Merchants 1960 |
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| Royale also claimed the Tom of Finland series |
60.5
Two months later, in October 1960, Royale laid their own claim to ownership of Tom's 'Thieving Cowboy' being "especially drawn for them" in an advert (shown above) in Tomorrow's Man Vol 8 No 11
According to De Simone Wayland (writing for the Bonham's Sale Catalogue in 2021), Royale commissioned the series from Tom in 1957 and it's dated as being drawn in 1958 in GMP's Tom of Finland Retrospective (Vol 1 p14). However I cannot find any trace of Royale advertising it prior to these two ads. They did advertise some artists in their 'stable' and included them in their 1960 catalogue, but not Tom of Finland. Maybe the claims of exclusivity related to publication in Britain. Whatever the case, there seems a sniff of competition and one-upmanship in the near-simultaneous release and wording of these two ads.
60.6
Significantly, in an undated order acknowledgement included as ephemera in the British Photographers collection (Ref 1), John Parkhurst described himself as the Proprietor of Dolphin Photography with no mention of Clavering. Notice that he didn't adopt the Studio tag for Dolphin and in another subtle differentiation with the Royale brand he described his photo stories as 'playlets' instead of storyettes.
We don't know the rationale behind the Dolphin-Royale differentiation. There's some evidence of a split in the leadership (60.6 above) but the material and the models continued to be shared by them much the same. It's a matter of conjecture whether this represented a parting of the ways, amicable or otherwise or was a practical device to rehabilitate the brand from it's reputation for attracting unwelcome interest from the authorities.
According to a message sent to the 'British Photographers Group' (Source No 1) and reported at 'Tim In Vermont' (Source No 9): -
"Basil was forced to finish due to his co-Directors, after he released a set of pics denoting two sailors supposedly whipping their white uniforms from each other which somehow got out and caused a huge rumpus".
This is pure hearsay, but there is a photo set that fits this description. It's 'Whip Duel' starring Peter George and Ron Wiltshire (Archive set No 38). The only difference is that it features a sailor and a soldier, not two sailors. It was included in Royale's July 1959 Catalogue list (with the name 'Whip Fight') and was prominently illustrated (as 'WIP' Duel!) in a display advert in 'Man Alive' in the August and the October issues that year.
This timing is a plausible fit with the (breakaway?) launch of Dolphin in mid 1960 and might explain the puzzling continuation of the two studios in parallel until 1962. However, the cause of the split in the quoted statement (if split it was) is vague and not entirely convincing. The name change from Fight to Duel might be significant. It was an era troubled by organised, public fights between tribal gangs of youths. However, the violent imagery of the set is not much different to contemporary 'Sword and Sandal' movies although Basil did accompany it with a lurid description suggesting in was real.
The 'rumpus' might have simply been an internal disagreement or, more seriously, it could have been a reaction to Police raiding premises - Royale's or Magazines' or Retailers - and confiscating the offending material. As far as I know the Police didn't keep records of raids such as these, but there's no evidence of prosecutions.
Whatever the case, 'Man Alive' continued it's usual print schedule in January 1960 with Royale material included and a new, full page advert. All the pictured sets had changed, but it still mentioned 'Whip Duel' in the text. The magazine's editorial speaks, slightly disparagingly, of 'seeing the back' of the old year but does not elaborate. There's some evidence of rivalry between the two 'brands' in the years that followed, but nothing more.
Equally interesting in the report of the rumpus is the reference to co-Directors (plural). We know about John Parkhurst who set up Royale with Clavering and then founded Dolphin. Don Avard was reported as being involved too (see 58.2 above) but was he a 'co-Director'? We don't know. If the quoted statement is accurate (which is a big 'if'), was there someone else involved? I can't help thinking of Scott of London who crops up time and time again in these articles and Pete Dobing. Both these men feature in the aftermath of the Royale Story (see 65.2 below)
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| Dolphin Photography and Man Alive magazine shared the same Address |
60.8
The Man Alive 'Thieving Cowboy' advert (60.1) gave Dolphin's new address as 3, Golden Square. This is a garden square at the Regent Street & Piccadilly Circus end of Soho's Brewer Street. Interestingly, Man Alive, the magazine that carried that first ad also gave Golden Square as their publishing address, although they had been based elsewhere, at 10, St Martin's Court, for every previous issue. There's clearly a connection between the two events but it may simply have been a matter of convenience to share offices. Man Alive were supporters of Royale and they would have been in regular contact with each other about such plans.
1961
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| Curious Headline in Tomorrow's Man (Mar 1961) |
61.1
Royale often used unconventional headlines in their ads, but the curious wording of this advertisement for Dolphin a few months later in March 1961 (Tomorrow's Man) is downright puzzling. Arguably it supplies more evidence of rivalry between Royale and it's new off-shoot. I've never heard of Dolphins being renowned for their happiness, larks yes, dolphins no. It's perhaps it's nothing to do with Royale, but related to some popular theme of the day or maybe the question mark was a precursor to the unexplained name change that was to come about a few months later, see 61.2 below.
The new studio did have something to be happy about at this time, they had a half page advertisement printed in the Man-ifique Spring issue of 1961, the first time the Royale group had been mentioned in a John Barrington publication for over two years.
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| Dolphin Photography becomes Hussar Studio 1961 |
61.2
A year after it's launch, in August 1961, Trim were telling their readers that Dolphin Photography had changed it's name to Hussar Studio although the explanation given was somewhat vague. In fact a photo of Tibor Urgay in trunks had already been published under the Hussar name in May 1961, Man Alive No14.
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| Parallel Advertising for Hussar and Royale 1961 |
61.3
Royale and Hussar continued to advertise their 'Storyettes' and 'Playlets' alongside each other (literally!) This was in Body Beautiful No 15, around the end of 1961. Hussar have listed four new playlets here, three of which are still known to us. The flowery, literary copy boasts of their quality. Royale, by contrast, have used only a photo (which I have been unable to connect to a model or a storyette. It may possibly be part of a cowboy series from Don Avard's heyday). There seems a touch of frustration in the pushy Royale copy which is clearly trading on their reputation.
Towards the end, illustrations were regularly dropped from the ads and some were simply addresses, relying on images posted in the body of the magazine to attract interest. Hussar had a picture of Peter George featured in this issue but Royale wasn't represented at all. Royale had appeared in every issue of Body Beautiful up to No 12, with as many as six full pages at the peak but there was only one more after that - David Clarke in issue 19 (1962).
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more info on the dropping of illustrations (pending)
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1962
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| Tomorrow's Man, Directory of Physique Photographers (Jan 1962) |
Both Hussar and Royale were still included as active businesses in the 'TM directory of Physique Photographers' published in the January 1962 issue of Tomorrow's Man.
The Hussar advert at the bottom of the page mentions a number of new 'playlets' all of which seem to have been completely lost except 'Hold-Up'. (If any of my readers know differently I'd be delighted to hear from them)
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| Tomorrow's Man, Directory of Physique Photographers (Jun 1962) |
64.1
Hussar's pictures and advertisements continued to run until at least February 1964 (in Manual No 49).
The last one featured Peter George's elderly (1959!) PT Instructor set.
So far I've not found any later ads for Hussar. Their last appearance in Tomorrow's Man's Directory of Physique Photographers was also in February 1964, which suggests that this was when they ceased trading, although 'Manual' and 'Trim' continued to list them until Oct 1964.
We don't know what finally finished Hussar,
perhaps the loss of Clavering's flair for publicity after the split was too damaging.
64.2
Scan Magazine No 8 (ca. Jun 1964) chose to commemorate the demise of Hussar studio rather symbolically, provocatively even, by reviving this image of Tom Manlick (yes!) posing in half of a genuine Royal Horse Guard's Uniform and a chain-mail pouch.
Male Classics Annual in 1964 included a lot of Royale/Hussar pictures but did not mention them in the list of contributors.
Other magazines lamented that 'some people' could not accept increasing use of clothing and biker imagery, which of course was still 'disqualified' from the categories of health, body building and fashion which were permitted by the authorities for imagery in which men 'displayed' themselves.
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1965 onwards
65.1
The Male Classics 1965 Annual went further with an article discussing in academic-sounding terms the evolving use of clothing in physique photography with Royale/Hussar well represented. There was a striking double page spread with multiple snippets of examples almost entirely dedicated to them, but they weren't mentioned by name except via cryptic, coded credits.
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| Click to Enlarge |
This montage spread appeared in Male Classic Annual for 1965 without any explanatory text and seems to be a tribute to Royale. One that isn't Royale is 24 which is by Scott. I'm not sure either about 9, 13 and 20. These two pages feature snippets of many pictures that were previously unknown to me but I have tried to caption them as far as possible. If any reader can add to or correct my names, please add a comment to the foot of the post.
Some time later Royale material started turning up under the names of other photographers like Scott of London and Peter Dobing (further article link pending). Royale and Hussar images continued to appear in print in their own right for many years after, with Peter George's fetish, wader images still carrying carrying the flag in Drummer in 1988 and Dungeon Master in 1989 (see Peter George's Career).
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| Tibor Noszgay by Hussar |
Royale and Hussar still refuse to die with exhibitions and new images turning up from time to time and astonishing prices being reached in sale rooms for surviving photographs.
article produced by Mitchell for the mitchmen Royale Studio Open Archive
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| Fred Collins as a Footballer, tied up |
In 'Under The Lash,' the author 'Scott Claver' has compiled a detailed account of the brutal history of Corporal Punishment in the British Armed Forces and the long struggle of liberal thinkers to get it banned in the face of resolute opposition from the Officers who feared it would undermine their efforts to instil obedience, discipline and good order in their subordinates.
There were many offences for which men could be punished, ranging from minor insubordination, drunkenness and theft to desertion (punishable by flogging and sometimes branding) and mutiny, which was generally punishable by death. A table of Navy punishments included in the book includes several entries of chilling interest to many readers of this article. In 1846, Seamen Sheep and Bass of HMS Calcutta were convicted of Gross Indecency and were given 48 lashes each whilst being drummed round the squadron (explained below), they were then imprisoned for a year before being discharged in disgrace. In 1756, James Spencer, a Boatswain's Mate on HMS Nottingham, was given 20 lashes alongside each ship in Halifax Harbour for Sodomy. Finally, in 1757, Francis French, a midshipman on board HMS Defiance, also convicted of "sodomitical practices, uncleanliness and scandalous behaviour" was given 300 lashes whilst wearing a halter round his neck and rendered 'incapable of serving'. The last part of this punishment is not explained.
Although the author describes numerous ways in which delinquents were punished, to modern day eyes, flogging seems perhaps the most barbaric, with some astonishingly severe sentences, up to 1,900 lashes. Lesser amounts being meted out on a regular basis, often for trivial or unjust reasons. In the early 1800s flogging was the most common form of punishment in the Army. Something like 25% of the enlisted men in some Regiments were reported as having experienced it at some point in their careers and in pre-Victorian times, enlistment was sometimes for life.
Floggings were generally inflicted with a 'cat', a multi-tailed whip similar to the modern, S&M flogger, but with tails of knotted cord rather than leather, which was more painful and more damaging. This instrument inflicted multiple lashes with a single stroke and the author spares no detail in describing the consequences for the victim's bodies, giving numerous examples of the worst cases. It's not an easy read.
Outcomes varied significantly from one man to another. Some could tolerate much more pain and also might suffer less physical trauma than others receiving the same punishment. Some almost seemed able to take the beatings in their stride, joking about it with the Officers and their comrades. But in other cases, men died from the wounds they sustained, occasionally while the punishment was still being inflicted. Offenders were usually hospitalised for weeks, sometimes months, some were never fit for service again. Thus, the man was lost from duty exactly as if he had been imprisoned. This was resented by his comrades, who had to carry out his duties instead.
A surgeon was generally in attendance to prevent excessive harm to the victim. The punishment could be halted if he or the Officer in charge thought it necessary. But it was usually resumed and completed once the offender had recovered enough to bear it. It then effectively became a double punishment, the second worse than the first, as old wounds quickly re-opened. Critics condemned the use of medical skill, not to heal men, but to determine the maximum punishment they could tolerate.
Offenders were frequently punished in front of all their comrades as an example of what might happen to them. The delivery of floggings were often accompanied by an elaborate,
full-dress ceremonial ritual, with drummers beating time in the march to
the scaffold and counting out the strokes. It was traumatic to watch for some, fainting and revulsion were common, although it was widely considered that the punishments were mostly well-deserved.
Floggings were usually directed at the back, but beatings on the bottom (or breech) were not unknown, although it was generally considered too degrading and too painful in significant amounts. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, the enlisted men often meted out 'private' punishments themselves in this manner. This aspect of barracks life is covered in Royale's storyettes e.g. The Cheat.
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| Running The Gauntlet |
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| The Wooden Horse |
Clavering didn't deploy the Wooden Horse either. It would have required special construction and taken up precious space in his studio. However, he does show men being spanked whilst sitting astride a gym horse (e.g. in The Cheat). Not at all the same punishment, but the imagery creates a similar effect.
The Wooden Horse is a familiar S&M punishment to readers of mitchmen blog, where a series of images by different artists have been published under the label, 'Riding The Wedge'.
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In the book, conditions in the Royal Navy are considered separately to the Army. Discipline on ships was reputedly much stricter and punishments more severe, with instruments designed to be more painful. The harsh regime was partly due to the impossibility of summoning reinforcements if disorder or mutiny broke out. However, in the enclosed environment on board ship, bullying often flourished, with discipline subject to Officers' whims. Relatively junior Officers had the power to impose arbitrary punishments, those in command of smaller ships had lesser rank but the same power as the Captain of the flagship.
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| Flogging in the Navy |
Attempts by Parliament to end the practice of corporal punishment were repeatedly thwarted by institutional opposition. When legal restraints were put in place, they were openly rejected by some senior officers and often ignored or circumvented by commanders in the field. Eventually though, in 1836, a Royal Commission was put in place to review the whole subject. They concluded that it was not possible to abolish the punishment altogether but recommended limits and measures to ensure that powers were not abused and alternatives made more effective.
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| Caning of a Chindit in Burma (1943) |
Gradually the practice declined but didn't disappear altogether. The first picture in this article depicts an example in 1900 and two 'Chindit' privates were caned in Burma in the Second World War for falling asleep on guard duty behind enemy lines. The latter was a mutually agreed punishment and when questions were asked in Parliament, one of them protested that he hadn't complained about it. Whether it had made them any more vigilant we'll never know. Although such incidents continued, they were nothing like as widespread or as severe as a century earlier. We should remember that caning of boys in UK schools and service training establishments was still commonplace in the 50s and 60s
Such is the detail of this book that it eventually becomes quite tedious to read. The review of Army punishments (Chap 1) seems to get lost in an unorganised repetition of the pro and cons of flogging expressed by different sources. Eventually it becomes an unstructured list of offenders and their punishments, which continues for several pages. The Royal Commission too is discussed in enormous depth, from its detailed terms of reference, the Committee's methodology, numerous sample testimonies (unordered) and ending with the full text of the report itself. There's much detail and repetition without a clear path to the Committee's conclusions.
If John Barrington was hired by Clavering to edit the contents into shape (see Part 1), he was only partly successful. In truth, his credentials for this task were no better than his knowledge of the subject itself. His own biographer frankly speaks of the shoddy, badly printed magazines he produced well into the 1980s. According to him, Barrington worked sporadically on this book and it shows.
Despite this criticism, there is a core of easily read, informative text and this is supplemented by some interesting diversions:- A brief history of how the Royal Navy came into being. A fascinating account of how Navy ships entering ports were immediately besieged by prostitutes who made homes on the ships while entertaining the crew. Also and not least, an abridged version of 'The Soldiers Tale' a melodramatic account of a young man tricked into 'taking the King's shilling' by a landowner who covets his fiancée. After much bullying, he deserts and runs off with his girl on two occasions, only to be recaptured and in the end is executed, the King's pardon arriving minutes too late.
Read Part 1 (Background)
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'Under The Lash' is available from many booksellers for modest prices.
A soft cover version came out as recently as 2010.
PT Class 01 by Hussar I have now completed the upgrading of images of the 'PT Class' storyette and reposting it to the Archive. I s...
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