Royale Studio Models - Peter George 2, in Pouch and Bondage

Peter George (in Royale Studio set 2-PUN) 03

This image also toys with the bondage theme, 

but in the more customary, more cautious way of the 1950's

It sneaked into a 1959 issue of 'Model Man'

 of having been wetted and wrung out.

This set also featured some splendid images which departed from the usual beefcake, formal style with a restrained eroticism that allowed the model's physique to shine through. This somewhat intimate pose showed him as the big man which he actually was (see 3-PUN catalogue blurb in Peter George Part 1). 

The narrow saw bench on which he is balanced here must have been quite uncomfortable, but even though it's cloaked in shadow, the timber between his buttocks and the triangular support, pointing upwards, directly underneath is not devoid of erotic meaning.  Like the stepladder image, it transplants an abstract, arty pose 'in pouch' into a slightly incongruous, rough (and sexy) workshop setting.

Unsurprisingly, this powerful pose put Peter on the front page of a Beefcake magazine but not until 1964 and even then, the down to earth bench was crudely obscured, thereby eliminating the element of intimacy and elevating him to a God-like, remote status, which was presumably deemed to be more acceptable.

Somewhat surprisingly, the same magazine had already used this, artier image from the set for its cover (in late 1959). Peter looks more boyish than God-like here, perhaps giving the picture a more innocent air. The half-round posing prop on which he is perched also avoids any dubious real-world associations. However, his highly oiled body and the very suggestive pouch shadowing, flanked by amazing thighs, make for a surprisingly sexy undertow. 

From all this front-page publicity, you get a sense of the impact that this man's arrival on the beefcake scene created and how popular he was. For that reason, there are more pictures of him posing solo than most men who modelled for Royale.

The half-Polo, roundel seen in the picture above was a regular Royale prop that featured in many of its beef sets. It had the virtue that models could drape themselves over the top to create sensational, suggestive poses, like this. The white pouch, clearly outlined against the black background, draws attention to the erotic possibilities of this position - even more than the equivalent, 'crab' image does in Peter's PT instructor set. There's also a lingering sense of bondage/S&M, it's reminiscent of 'sacrifice' imagery, which puts the jolly, preceding image into quite a different light.

Royale thought highly enough of this bench pose to include it specifically in their set description. It's an unashamedly provocative position with no pretence of artiness. Instead, it's as if we have intruded on the resting athlete and there's a moment of mutual questioning. Once again, the pouch becomes the focus of attention, its smooth contours presenting tactile qualities that are almost irresistible for those with wandering hands.

Peter's shoulders and arms look exceptionally good here.

It's also a good example of his 'Leyendecker face' (see Part 1).

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There is a further group of 'pouch' images where Peter poses with bamboo poles, but I am doubtful that they form part of the '2-PUN set for a number of reasons: Firstly, they seem different in style, more formal, more distant. This one is a rather beautiful snap bringing out the smoothness and slenderness of his physique (although nothing can disguise that amazing backside).

Peter's pouch seems more compact and rounded in this group, less triangular.

 and I fancy he's a shade less beefy and toned here. 

There's another erotic allusion in the positioning of the pole between his legs, 

The lighting is more sophisticated in this group with shadowing playing a distinctive role even in the lighter images preceding this one. The twist in his body here creates a more dramatic pose than is seen in any of the PUN-2 images which mostly involve straightforward standing or lying down. It also creates a bikini-like effect in the pouch which is rather pleasant.

There's an oblique suggestion of crucifixion in this one with the crossed poles and outstretched arms.

Here, the pole creates a sense of tension in Peter's body which is artistically poles away (!) from the studio lights images in PUN2 above. It's similar to classical images of the knight kneeling submissively before his King. If you like his boyish side this is a great example, but there's plenty of beef to ogle in his thighs and backside too. These pictures can be deceptive, but he appears to be naked and pouch-less here (compare the seated image, no 9 above)

 As far as I can discover, none of the images in the bamboo poles group were published as early as 1959, which is the principal date of the 2-PUN set, they all appeared in either Dec 1960 or 1961. 

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The next post in this series will be devoted to Peter posing in the nude.

All the images in this series will be uploaded to the mitchmen Royale Studio Open Archive in due course, watch for an announcement. 

view more articles about Royale Studio images by clicking on the GIU/Royale label below