Charles Guyette

Charles Guyette (August 14, 1902 – June, 1976)[1] was a pioneer of fetish style,[2] the first person in the United States to produce and distribute fetish art,[3] and regarded as the mail-order predecessor of Irving Klaw.[4] Later known as the "G-String King,"[5] he is best remembered for his bizarre (i.e., fetish) photographs, some of which featured sadomasochistic content.[6]

Biography

Charles Guyette also worked as an innovative burlesque costumer and dealer in theatrical accessories,[7][8] providing vintage corsets,[9] opera gloves, custom-made fetish boots,[10] and, most famously, G-strings.[11] Employed by National Police Gazette editor, Edythe Farrell, he later provided costumes, high heel shoes and boots, and occasionally photographs for publisher Robert Harrison,[12][13] known for such pin-up magazines as Wink, Titter, Beauty Parade, Whisper, and Eyeful. He was also important in early fetish community social circles of the day[14] and in the careers of John Willie and Irving Klaw.[15] Charles Guyette was a fetish fashion pioneer.

In 1935, Charles Guyette went to federal prison, becoming the first martyr of fetish art history.[16] Later, he operated under a series of aliases and owned a costume shop on West 45th Street, in New York City.[17] Largely uncredited in his lifetime, Charles Guyette influenced all the key fetish art innovators, including Irving Klaw, John Willie, Eric Stanton, and Leonard Burtman.[18] The subject of a book tribute, Charles Guyette: Godfather of American Art, [19] he is also featured in the independent biopic on Wonder Woman creator William Moulton Marston. The film Professor Marston and the Wonder Women, written and directed by Angela Robinson,[20][21] features Charles Guyette as the costumer for Wonder Woman's real-life inspiration, Olive Byrne.[22] Guyette is played by actor JJ Feild.[23]

See also

References
  1. Social Security Death Index Retrieved 10 October 2017.
  2. Robert V. Bienvenu II, The Development of Sadomasochism as a Cultural Style in the Twentieth-Century United States (PhD dissertation) Indiana: Indiana University, 1998. p.72.
  3. Richard Pérez Seves, Charles Guyette: Godfather of American Fetish Art New York: FetHistory, 2017. p. 119.
  4. J.B. Rund, The Adventures of Sweet Gwendoline (Second Edition, Revised & Enlarged) New York: Bélier Press, 1999. p. 92.
  5. Rachel Shteir, Striptease: The Untold History of the Girlie Show Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004, p. 201
  6. Richard Pérez Seves, Charles Guyette: Godfather of American Fetish Art New York: FetHistory, 2017. pp. 119 - 120.
  7. Pérez Seves, Eric Stanton & the History of the Bizarre Underground, pp. 33.
  8. Austin Sunday American Statesman Newspaper Archives, Oct 10 1948. Retrieved 10 October 2017
  9. "Charles Guyette in Robert Harrison Magazines: Wink, Flirt, Eyeful, Beauty Parade, Whisper, Titter.... Corsets, Stockings, Ultra-High Heel Shoes and Boots!.." fethistory.blogspot.com Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  10. "Charles Guyette, The G-string King, Vintage Boot Parade!" fethistory.blogspot.com Retrieved 10 October 2017.
  11. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Aug. 3, 1944. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  12. "Edythe Farrell on Charles Guyette’s Lady Wrestling Amazon, plus Bettie Page’s Corset!" fethistory.blogspot.com Retrieved 10 October 2017.
  13. "Charles Guyette in Robert Harrison Magazines: Wink, Flirt, Eyeful, Beauty Parade, Whisper, Titter.... Corsets, Stockings, Ultra-High Heel Shoes and Boots!.." fethistory.blogspot.com Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  14. Robert V. Bienvenu II, The Development of Sadomasochism as a Cultural Style in the Twentieth-Century United States (PhD dissertation) Indiana: Indiana University, 1998. p.78.
  15. Richard Pérez Seves, Charles Guyette: Godfather of American Fetish Art New York: FetHistory, 2017. pp. 134 - 137.
  16. ""Held As Exporter Of Obscenity"" Retrieved 10 October 2017.
  17. The Brownsville Herald from Brownsville, Texas on June 16, 1950 Retrieved 10 October 2017.
  18. "Charles Guyette: fetish pioneer who influenced Klaw, Willie & Burtman" The Fetishistas. 10 October 2017.
  19. "Charles Guyette: fetish pioneer who influenced Klaw, Willie & Burtman" The Fetishistas. 10 October 2017.
  20. "Professor Marston & the Wonder Women" Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  21. "‘Professor Marston & the Wonder Women’: Film Review" Retrieved 10 October 2017.
  22. "‘Professor Marston & the Wonder Women’: Film Review" Retrieved 10 October 2017.
  23. Retrieved 10 October 2017.

Further reading
  • Charles Guyette: Godfather of American Fetish Art [*Cream Paper Edition*] by Richard Pérez Seves. New York: FetHistory, 2019. ISBN 978-1077679689
  • Eric Stanton & the History of the Bizarre Underground by Richard Pérez Seves. Atglen: Schiffer Publishing, 2018. ISBN 978-0764355424
  • Possibilities: The Photographs of John Willie edited by J.B. Rund. New York: Bélier Press, 2016. ISBN 978-0914646495
  • The Adventures of Sweet Gwendoline edited by J.B. Rund.(Second Edition, Revised & Enlarged) New York: Bélier Press, 1999. ISBN 0-914646-48-6
  • Charles Guyette’s High Heeled Shoes: Photographs circa 1940 by George Monk. Amazon Digital Services (Kindle), 2014. ASIN B00J0HAMNO
  • The Development of Sadomasochism as a Cultural Style in the Twentieth-Century United States (PhD dissertation) by Robert V. Bienvenu II. Indiana: Indiana University, 1998.
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