The mitchmen Royale Studio blog: Stanley Free

How Stanley Free, an exceptionally handsome and muscular model, made sporadic appearances for Royale and Hussar.

Bare top muscular model reclining on bench in jeans, cowboy hat + studded belt

Stan Free - Cowboy Image from Solo Set post

Career Outline

Nothing is known about the background of Stanley Free, but he was one of Royale's pioneer models with an solo appearance as early as April 1958. There were several subsequent photo-sets at sporadic intervals. He was still posing for Hussar in the dying days of the studio. Despite this there are a limited number surviving, solo images of him.

Besides posing for Royale and Hussar, he had a session with Lon (in London). This was not unusual for physique models, but it may be this 'defection' that led to him being mis-named as 'Barry Cutts' in Royale's Catalogue entry for 'TEDS' (see footnote in solo set post , also Royale Studio's 'joke names')

Stanley Free's Solo Appearances

Surviving images suggest the following photo-sets may have existed, based on when they started to appear in the physique press.

March 1958 - A classic Royale 'starter' set in pouch with regular props like the roundel, square column and mats.
January 1959 - Cowboy/Biker poses in jeans (these could also be from the 1958 session).
Spring 1960 - Posing session with Lon, nude, in pouch and jeans.
1960-61 - 'Footballer' images for Hussar (associated with Football Fight)
January 1963 - Solo images associated with the wrestling sailors, playlet shoot for Hussar, with Mike Scudder .