In the post-war haze of Germany, where the scars of conflict still lingered in the streets of Berlin and Hamburg, Franz Rehfeld turned his lens to the whispers of desire. Active in the 1950s and 1960s, he began as a fashion photographer, capturing the sleek lines of couture in an era of reconstruction and repressed passions. But Rehfeld’s work soon transcended the runway; he plunged … Continue reading Franz Rehfeld
Born July 7, 1909, in the austere plains of Alliance, Nebraska, Bruce Bellas began as a chemistry teacher, stirring formulas by day while his imagination churned with visions of bodies in motion. By 1947, he traded the chalkboard for the raw pulse of California’s Muscle Beach in Venice, where bodybuilders glistened under the relentless Pacific sun. What began as competition shots evolved into something far … Continue reading Bruce Bellas
When the world thinks of fetish photography and illustration, the name John Willie inevitably surfaces. John Alexander Scott Coutts (1902–1962), better known as John Willie, was a British-born illustrator, photographer, publisher, and bondage pioneer whose work defined the golden age of mid-century fetish art. With a pen in one hand and a rope in the other, he turned restraint into high art and fantasy into a shared … Continue reading John Willie
Judy Ann Dull (1933–1957) was a young woman chasing dreams in the sunlit haze of 1950s Los Angeles, an aspiring actress and model whose spirit shone brightest in the intimate world of fetish photography. With her brunette waves, expressive eyes, and a dancer’s lithe grace, Judy embodied the era’s blend of glamour and grit, stepping into frames not as a passive figure, but as a … Continue reading Judy Ann Dull
Doree (last name unknown) was one of John Willie’s most daring and least-documented models during his 1957 Los Angeles period. A petite brunette with a gymnast’s core and a dancer’s arch, she appeared in only a handful of sessions, yet left an indelible mark on the evolution of suspension bondage photography. Grace in Suspension Unlike the theatrical damsels of Bizarre magazine, Doree brought athletic precision … Continue reading Doree
Patti Conley (c. 1930s–?), known in Willie’s circle as “Pat,” was a Hollywood hopeful with a dancer’s lithe frame and a showgirl’s charisma. An American model who moonlighted in men’s magazines and even starred in burlesque training films like LA School for Strippers (1957). She posed for a number of L.A. photographers, including Peter Gowland, Peter Gowland and Keith Bernard and had worked as a showgirl at the Dunes … Continue reading Patti Conley
Holly Anna Faram (1924–1999) was more than John Willie’s muse — she was his collaborator, wife, and the real-life Sweet Gwendoline. A California-born dancer with a ballerina’s poise and a rebel’s spirit, Holly met Willie in 1946 and stepped into a world of silk ropes, sky-high heels, and playful peril. From Stage to Studio Trained in ballet and modern dance, Holly brought elegance and endurance … Continue reading Holly Faram
Imagine The Godfather with Don Corleone bound in silk ropes, or Pulp Fiction’s dancers locked in a steel cage. What happens when the silver screen meets the dark room? From the lurid grindhouse prints of the 1960s to today’s glossy streaming thumbnails, BDSM imagery has long been a visual shorthand for transgressive desire. Film titles and promotional posters act as cultural signposts, instantly communicating a … Continue reading A Visual History of BDSM in Film Promotion
Today I’m exploring a surprisingly persistent yet taboo fascination: the erotic allure of nuns and monks both delivering and receiving spankings. Far from being a purely contemporary fetish, this motif threads through centuries of religious discipline, provocative art, and whispered convent anecdotes. I’ll draw on archival accounts of corporal punishment within monastic communities, Victorian‑era erotica, and a selection of historic artworks—including pieces from the Spanking … Continue reading History of Nuns, Monks, and Spanking
Exotique was a specialized fetish magazine published by Leonard Burtman under his Burmel Publishing Company imprint in New York City between 1955 and 1959. The magazine’s femdom theme, photos, and artwork mark it as a direct descendant of the first major fetish magazine Bizarre (1946-1959), produced by John Willie. Exotique was entirely devoted to fetish fashions and female-dominant bondage fantasies. The 36 issues featured photos and illustrations of dominatrix-inspired vamps (including wife Tana Louise and iconic model Bettie Page) wearing exotic leather and … Continue reading Exotique by Leonard Burtman
