The mitchmen Royale Studio blog: Don Avard

Don Avard by Royale on the Cover of MAN-ifique (Feb 1958)

Don Avard was an Australian who had served in the Royal Navy, making a name there as a boxer. He was a member of the Chatham Gun Crew in the 1957 Royale Tournament. His cute face, winning smile and trim physique helped him to become, arguably, Royale's first 'star' of their own making (i.e. not an existing bodybuilder personality).

His role in Royale's start-up was significant. He headlined Royale's very first advertisement, in December 1957 (Man's World) - see Royale Timeline 57.2, and was their first beefcake cover man (above, for Barrington's 'MAN-ifique', February 1958). That was one of three beefcake magazine covers he graced in the early months of Royale's existence.

(The others were Tomorrow's Man, March 1958 and Grecian Guild Pictorial April 1959. Plus a repeat appearance in a re-issue of Man-ifique dated as Spring 1958)

Avard actually lived with Clavering in Denbigh St for a while during this period, 1957-58 and reportedly became part of 'the firm'. He was also a friend of the photographer John Barrington. A very good one, it seems!

Biographical Feature on Don Avard
and his links with Clavering and John S. Barrington

Solo Sets

This advertisement in Tomorrow's Man in April 1958 tells us Royale was offering 3 sets of photos of Don posing solo. It also quotes 3 costumes, but the sets were probably not segregated in that way, not least because there are also known images of Don in swimming trunks and nude. Royale usually mixed costumes in sets for variety and to give them the widest appeal (e.g. Eric White - nude, pouch, shorts). For that reason, the discovered images are assembled into a single post here.