Tag: Photograph

DDI

I couldn’t do a series of posts on meeting pro-dommes in the old days without mentioned Domina Directory International – or simply DDI. If cards in phone boxes were the low end of the advertising market, this was definitely the high end. It was professionally printed and distributed, with high quality photographs alongside articles and contact details. I remember play spaces having copies in their entrance rooms, particularly if a domme using the space was featured in it. There were European and US editions, and it was even available to purchase in mainstream outlets.

Unsurprisingly, like a lot of print media, it didn’t survive the coming of the internet. There is still a Twitter feed for them, but the last post was over a decade ago.

Unlike a lot of similar magazines from that era, I’ve yet to find any detailed articles on its history or background. It was pitched as by pro-dommes and for pro-dommes, but exactly who the creators were is unclear to me. Mistress Sidonia has a good tribute post on her Femdom Blog, so check that out if you’re interested in her take on it.

This was #27 of the North American edition, although I can’t see a date on it. The banner along the bottom is indicative of its time.

Pick a Card

My previous post featuring an old pro-domme advertisement, and a comment left on it from Simon, reminded me of this post by the brilliant femdom artist Sardax. It describes the process of seeking a pro-domme in pre-internet days and features the below image, showing the typical sex worker cards you might find in a phonebox or dodgy newsagents.

I remember visiting London in the 90’s and seeing examples of these, but it was a practice already beginning to die out. Unsurprising, given the limited information a card could offer. After all, who’d fancy calling a number on the basis of just “Gas Mask, Leather, Rubber, Boots, etc.” It’s not a lot to go on. The “School Girl Uniform for Sale” is another intriguing one. Did you turn up expecting to put it on? Or for a middle aged sex worker to be wearing it? My favorite is the “1/2 hour of hell” which both catches the eye and gives the advertiser a lot of leeway in delivering the service. It’s the mystery box of cards.

Some Things Never Change

I’m continuing the historical theme with this image. It’s another one from mrunderheel on Twitter. However, in this case it wasn’t the image that caught my eye – although it does feature a very fun phone – but the text. It’s an interesting glimpse into the pro-domme world of the past.

Firstly, there’s the mention of ‘transvestites’. You almost never see that today. Cross-dressing or feminization seem to be current words of choice. I guess transvestite carries too much negative baggage, Rocky Horror usage not withstanding.

Then there’s the use of ‘Greek’ to mean anal sex. That used to be a standard sex worker code word but has gone out of fashion. ‘Slave Greeking’ here presumably means pegging or similar activities.

The acronym S.A.S.E might require some explanation for my readers under 40. That stands for ‘Self Addressed Stamped Envelope’ and was a common request if you were writing to someone and wanted a response. By enclosing an envelope with a stamp you were paying the postage for the reply. I remember it being a standard thing in the 70s and 80s when requesting information.

The part that made laugh and gave me the post title was the phrase – “No pen pals.” I’m assuming this meant don’t waste my time and send me letters expecting a response without paying for a session. Yes, even when it took many days to  communicate, and actual pen and ink were required, reply guys and timewasters were still a thing. Self-centered horny men are, sadly, in endless and timeless supply.

You can see the original full size version via this Twitter post.

Thumbscrews

I’m always entertained when I stumble across strange vintage femdom pornography. Often it’s terrible bondage or odd outfits that catch the eye. In this case it’s an unusual means of torture.

I think the original form of a thumbscrew was a small vice, that crushed the fingers. The domme here seems to have taken the screw part of the name a little too literally. I’m guessing these are woodwork and metalwork tools that have been repurposed by an inventive pornographer. She at least seems to be enjoying herself, even if the slave isn’t.

I’d guess from the color and style this was originally shot in the 1970’s. It was recently posted to Twitter by mrunderheel.

Hog and Hook

I thought this bondage set-up was both very sexy and a little unusual. Hogties aren’t rare, but I don’t think I’ve seen one combined with hooks and overhead straps in this way. It really adds an enhanced element of control, particularly when combined with the straps around the head. I’m also a fan of using leather over the more traditional rope.

This was created by the Chicago based pro-domme Mistress Hecuba and sourced via her Bluesky feed. She also has a LoyalFans available here.

The Morning After

I woke up feeling very tender and sore. Because I’m now over 50 years old that triggered the obvious thought process – “OMG. Am I dying? What new hell is this? Did I just sleep weird or is this a new normal? Do my muscles hate me now?”

Fortunately, after the sleep haze cleared, I realized what was going on. Ms Savannah Sly was in town. Last night therefore featured lots of beating, trampling, biting, pummeling and lots of other painful ‘ings.  It was the really good kind of sore. Lots of happy bruises.

The bad news was I had a doctors appointment I’d forgotten about. It had been rescheduled multiple times and I hadn’t realized the final time landed just hours after a session. Always fun explaining that yes, I know I’m bruised and scratched, and yes, it was entirely consensual. It felt a bit like taking a car from a destruction derby to a mechanic. I know I did all these violent things to it and the bodywork now looks like hell, but you can still fix my brakes and check the engine light?

This is the fabulous Ms Savannah Sly as featured on her Bluesky Feed. If you’d like to support her organization New Moon – which does lots of great things for sex workers – then check it out here.

Broadening Interests

I had an interesting comment left by Tiny Monster on my post about porn escalation. He said his porn had generally de-escalated in terms of nudity and extremeness of activities. The fantasy works a lot better for him if there’s less context and it’s therefore easier to add your own.

I’m very much onboard with this. I wouldn’t say I’ve purely de-escalated the content I like – I still like a bunch of extreme activities – but my interests have gotten a lot broader. I’d much rather see a slightly suggestive clothed image that I can project into rather than a regular run-of-the-mill porn shot.

I suspect the enormous number of captioned femdom images floating around have had a role to play in this. I don’t write captions myself, but when I see an image like the one below, I do start thinking in those terms. Is this a cuckold shot and she’s checking her outfit before heading out on date? Or maybe it’s a report in on your household chores? Maybe it’s both. She’s giving instructions on your household duties while she’s out for dinner with a very special friend. Just make sure there are fresh sheets on the bed and you’re in the guestroom when they return.

It’s a lot easier to spin your preferred fantasy – whatever that may be – with an ambiguous image like than it is with something like this.

 

Chasing Not Catching

Like a lot of people, I enjoy regular, vanilla sex. It’s undeniably fun and pleasurable. Yet, it’s never as much fun as an intense kinky scene. I’d rather be fucked up than fuck. Occasionally, when booking up pro-domme sessions I’ll contemplate the idea of finding someone just for regular PIV sex. My social media feeds have any number of hot escorts in them. However, I never do it, as I know I’ll just end up wishing I’d stuck to pain over pleasure.

This preference is probably not too surprising. I run a femdom blog after all. However, what I do find odd is how much I like playing with tease and denial, or implied chastity/cuckold dynamics. They’re all based on the desirability of sex, the thing I don’t bother arranging. I’m turned on by the idea of not getting the thing that I don’t actually want.

I guess I’m a bit like a dog chasing a car. The fun is all in the chase. Catching it would spoil the game.

This gentleman seems to be safely packaged up and unlikely to be spoiling things with sex anytime soon. I found it via tumblr but it’s from Mrs Steelwerks.

The Unifier

Femdom lovers are a varied bunch. We all have our own kinks, preferences and hot button activities. There’s no such things as a standard kinky person.

However, in many years of Femdom blogging, I have discover one unifying element. The common thread that seems close to universal. That’s a fondness for Catwoman. For some she’s a formative character. For others, just a fun, sexy mainstream representation of a dominant woman. Either way, it’s hard to find a submissive who doesn’t have a fondness for at least one of the interpreters of the character over the last 60 or so years.

This all came to mind thanks to this entertaining interview with Julie Newmar. She was the first actress to play the character and is arguably still the benchmark.

Newmar made the character her own, setting the template for a long line of successors, from Eartha Kitt to Michelle Pfeiffer and Anne Hathaway. Her dancer’s experience helped with the feline mannerisms: “I adopted two cats in order to watch their physical behaviour.” She even made her own adjustments to the costume, lowering the belt to the hips to accentuate her waist and taking it in until “it was like liquorice poured over the body; it fit that well.”

She clearly knew what she was doing, because that dropped belt was a lovely touch. While Anne Hathaway and Michelle Pfeiffer may have had more overly fetishistic outfits, it’s hard to beat the sensuality and playfulness Julie brought to the role.

Lady Phoenix

I’m safely back in Seattle after my UK trip. Hopefully, slightly more regular posting will now resume.

Before I left I was lucky enough to play with Lady Phoenix in her London space. That proved to be a fabulous way to round off my trip. We indulged in some electrical play, sounding, CBT, watersports and a lot of tease/denial and edging. Combining those activities with a really talented and lovely domme is guaranteed to send me home with a smile on my face.

Thanks to limited time in London I’d done a session just two days earlier with Mistress Miranda (as covered in my previous post). Scheduling sessions so closely together is always a risk because of the short recovery time. Delicate areas are sometimes still in their recovery phase. I think my nipples were described as ‘crusty’ which is  a never an expression you want associated with an erogenous zone! Fortunately, Lady Phoenix worked with the slightly bruised goods I was presenting and judged the intensity of our play beautifully.

If you’re in the London area and interested in sessions, then I’d definitely suggest seeking Lady Phoenix out. She has a great central London space and it was a lot of fun to connect and play with her.

This image of Lady Phoenix is from her Bluesky feed. You can find all her other links here.