Posting of 'The Hold-Up' commences

 

 

I have started posting the images of 'The Hold-Up', a Hussar 'playlet' which has striking parallels to 'The Wallet'. It stars a leather-clad Ron Wiltshire, seen above attempting to relieve an American sailor, Norman Simpson, of his wallet. His wicked plan comes spectacularly unstuck when a British sailor, Frank Harrod, intervenes. An early example of the 'special relationship'.

Read about the background of The Hold Up 

Go direct to 'The Hold Up' photo set

Significant revison to the Navy Trilogy

 

'Spike' in DTS04 from the Navy Trilogy

Royale's Royal Navy trilogy - Navy Romeo (parts 1 & 2), Navy Gash and the so-called 'DTS' photo-set tend to be overlooked because they don't have any spanking content, but they are an integral part of the foundations of the Royale Studio legend because of the tailor-made, tight (and wet!), white uniforms worn by the sailors, setting out the Royale, erotic dress style, and the uncompromising plot-lines about service life that would be called bullying these days. 

A good deal of mystery and confusion surrounds the casting of these photo sets but I have recently rediscovered information that was under my nose all the time and sheds new light on the actors who appear in them. This has led me to drastically rewrite the article about 

'Identifying the Navy Romeo, Navy Gash and DTS models'

This new analysis has also resulted in an update to 

Royale's 'Joke' Names 

There are significant 'knock-on' updates to DTS and Spike Millican

Major Update to Tibor Urgay's 'Roundel' set

Tibor Urgay looking Buff and Majestic

 I've added six new images to Tibor's TIB2 set 

and revised all the text.

Direct link to new version TIB2 

Tibor's Profile Page with all his sets listed 

Tibor Urgay - Classical Nudes

Classical Nudes -  Clavering's Creativity with Tibor Urgay 

Tibor Urgay as The Bound Slave (from set TIV4)

Royale had a stock set of poses and props that most of their models were cycled through, but the look and personality of certain, special models seemed to stoke Clavering's creativity to heights that were ground-breaking by the standards of 50s, beefcake photography. Don Avard was one and Tibor Urgay was another. This is exemplified by the photos in Tibor's, TIB4 set, which I have titled 'Classical Nudes'.

 

View Classical Nudes

 

View Tibor Urgay's full list of photo sets. 

'The Wallet' - Colour version added to the archive

Royale's shocking storyette
about a bar room encounter (now in colour for the first time).

Royale Studio - The Wallet 03 (colourised by mitchmen)

 

I have posted a complete, colourised version of 'The Wallet' at the Gallery. It's accompanied by a bare outline of the plot with no commentary. This is the earliest Royale story with a genuine, dramatic plot line. It's come down to us complete and though the images are not of the finest quality, most of them have come up well in colour. 

'The Wallet' stars Ron Fenn (aka the Tough Schoolmaster) and Ian McAllister (co-star in TEDS). As you might guess from the picture above, it's about a pickpocket, but there's a surprising, shocking climax. The hidden subtext makes it one of Clavering's more political statements about the plight of gay men in 50s Britain (discussed in the black and white article, link below).

McAllister's pose in the picture above (right) might remind you of a well-known image of a sailor by Lüger (aka Colt) and I cover that link in the black and white, gallery article.

Read 'The Wallet' in colour.

Read 'The Wallet' profile page for the background

Go direct to the original, black and white  Gallery article 

Ian McAllister profile added to the model index.

 Ian McAllister, the elusive star of two important Royale Storyettes

Ian McAllister starred in 'The Wallet' (opposite leather fan, Ron Fenn) and 'The Teddy Boy and The Sailor ' (with muscular Stanley Free) but not very much is known about him. He has now been added to the Royale Model Index in the right sidebar with background and onward links to his performances. 

Mike Ridgeway solos added to the Gallery

 Mike Ridgeway, the Royale Studio model who got caught up in the 'Hussar' breakaway 

Mike Ridgeway by Royale

 Mike Ridgeway originally posed for Royale Studio and then, unwittingly, got caught up in an ownership tussle between Royale and Hussar. It's one of many examples of tensions between the two studios after they separated, but is perhaps the most revealing one. He went on to appear in 'Leather Merchants', Dolphin/Hussar's startling venture in fetish. 

Read the fascinating story of Mike Ridgeway's solo set 

'Leather Merchants' now complete

'Leather Merchants' by Dolphin Photography

All the images of 'Leather Merchants' have now been uploaded to the Royale Gallery. This was the set that launched Dolphin Photography as a separate enterprise to Royale Studio, in the name of John Parkhurst. It trod new ground with a comprehensive exploration of leather fetish, albeit fenced in by the restrictions of the time. It's an uncanny foretaste of what was to come with 'Guys In Uniform' in the seventies.

Read the background in the Leather Merchants Profile

View the Pictures at the Royale-Hussar Gallery 

The Curator is on Holiday

 

Posting of Leather Merchants is set to resume next week, meanwhile check out the new Mike Ridgeway page.

Cliff Smith posed in Civil War and Leather Kit

Cliff Smith by Hussar

 This picture of Cliff Smith, by Hussar in 1963 (from a set of 3), is the latest addition to the mitchmen Royale Gallery. Cliff was one of the ever-present Royale boys, appearing also in the 1958 'Stolen Motorcycle' set and the 1961 set 'Leather Merchants', that marked the breakaway of Dolphin Studio (later named Hussar). He wore that studded leather belt in all 3 sets. 

The Cliff post follows a group related to the career of Ron Fenn - 'Tough Schoolmaster', 'Thief' and 'Black Leather', view all three at the Royale Gallery.

Milism - An Appeal to CP Enthusiasts

 I recently posted a 're-print' of Squaddie John's article about Royale Studio, which was previously published at the now-defunct 'milism' website. It prompted a reader to ask me about another article on that site, an RMP's account of actual corporal punishment in the armed services in the modern era. We're asking if anyone has a copy of that article that they might share. 

If you can help please contact me via my blogger profile.

Tough Schoolmaster posting completed

Royale's 'Tough Schoolmaster' Image 02

I have completed the posting of images from 'Tough Schoolmaster' at the gallery. The 'copy cat' version by Guys in Uniform ca. 1975, named (by me) as 'Caning by Numbers' has been posted simultaneously at the mitchmen blog. It contains an image by image comparison with the Royale set. 

There's background info in the 'Tough Schoolmaster' Profile 

Don Avard finishing touches

 Two, little known wrestling images of Don Avard with Fred Collins and Ian Oliver complete the Don Avard folio of photos for Royale Studio at the Royale-Hussar Gallery. The Ian Oliver image has an interesting connection with 'Julian and Sandy' of the hit radio comedy sketch show, 'Round The Horne' and the secret gay language, 'polari'.

See Don Avard's Profile Page for all his photo sets.

Gordon Scott at the Royale Gallery

 

Gordon Scott by Royale

 

I have added two articles to the Gallery featuring Gordon Scott.

Gordon Scott Solo 

Gordon Scott - Cowboy Duals with Don Avard 

Don Avard - Barrington Nudes and Pete Dobing shoots

Don's Write-Up in 'Adonis' (1958)

 I have added 3 more articles about Don Avard to the Gallery

The Barrington Frontal Nudes

Don's Shoot with Pete Dobing 

'A Day With Don Avard'

I'm now working on his storyette fragments

See Don Avard's Profile Page 

Don Avard solo post COMPLETED

Don Avard for Royale Studio

 I have finished posting the results of Don Avard's solo shoot for Royale. With this model Clavering produced a remarkable set of innovative pictures that challenged the whole way beefcake had always been presented. It earned him accolades.

View Don Avard Solo

View Don Avard's Profile Page 

The Boxers posted at the Gallery

Royale Studio - The Boxers

 I have completed Bob Flynn's, Royale portfolio with the addition of 'The Boxers', his only 'storyette', to the Gallery.

View the Background, Index page for 'The Boxers'

View 'The Boxers' Gallery entry 

Bob Flynn by Vic White

Bob Flynn captured by Vic White

 I have now added to Bob Flynn's roster of images, a small set taken by the respected physique photographer of the 1950s and 60s, Vic White. This completes the available sets of his solo career, I will post his solitary, known storyette next, 'Boxers'.

View Bob Flynn by Vic White

 See Bob Flynn's Index Page for other sets that feature him.

Bob Flynn by Scott - NOW COMPLETE

Bob Flynn by Scott

 
Bob Flynn taken by Scott in the 1960's.

  in the Royale Studio Archive Gallery of photos.

Features Scott's trademark tight shorts.

Bob Flynn Index Page

Bob Flynn by Scott 

ERTR Series fully documented

Eric White and Trefor get to grips in ERTR4

 The documentation at the Gallery of all six sets in the ERTR (Eric and Trefor) series has been concluded with the completion of ERTR4 which I have tentatively identified as 'The Wrestlers'.