Studio Biederer & Ostra – Early Fetish Erotica
When first exploring my own BDSM predilections a good friend gave me a french book, Jeux de Dames Cruelles. It contained very early and underground fetish photographs from the 1850s to the 1950s. This was before the internet, OK now you have everything at your fingertips. Then, this was a rare and risqué book. The cover photo was of a girl fantasising about being spanked – an artistic, sexy and technically clever image (a double exposure). It presented a woman with her own sexual desires, not being made to submit to something unwanted, providing a positive slant on kink. It was a beautiful photo and it was produced at the Biederer studio. One of the main producers of high quality erotic and fetish photography of the early 20th century.
In 1908 Jacques Biederer (1887-1942) moved from Moravská, Ostrava, (today in the Czech Republic) to settle in Paris and set up a photography studio. The studio was sheltered in a discreet workshop possibly situated at 33 Boulevard du Temple, 75003. He was later, in 1913, joined by his brother Charles (1892-1942). They most likely began as portrait photographers who later switched to “erotic studies” which were popular and typical of the era. Romantic, mildly suggestive images of couples in playful scenarios, nudes in classical poses, voyeuristic displays of partial nudity, and scenes of playful spanking.
What sets the Biederer photos apart is that they are artistic, tasteful and beautifully composed. Celebrating love, sex and alternative passions without being demeaning or sordid. Sometimes several photos were taken in a series in order to tell a simple story. Their models were probably local music hall girls and sex workers. One of their popular models was the French actress Lucette Desmoulins.
Early Fetish Erotica
By the 1920s their photography was evolving becoming more contemporary and daring. Depicting fetishistic scenes of costumed role play, bondage and erotic corporal punishment. With high-heel boots, leather opera gloves, corsets, shackles, chains and chastity belts. Most of their fetish photos are lezdom corporal punishment scenarios, some featuring a dominatrix like figure ordering around or whipping her female charges, though there are also maledom and classic femdom photo sets.
La Belle Époque
Little is known about their lives but with some supposition on my part – Jacques must have been highly educated to be able to take and process photographs from the dry plate cameras of the era. He may well have started as a portrait photographer back in Ostrava or learnt his skills from someone in his family. He must have come from a fairly well-off background to be able to own this then specialised camera equipment, travel to Paris and set up a studio. He did all this at the age of 21 while learning to become proficient in a new language which must be a sign of his youthful enthusiasm and ambition, and have been a lot of hard work.
He and his brother arrived in Paris during la Belle Époque when the arts were exploding, it was a city of progress, prosperity and of cultural exuberance. Was Jacques drawn to Paris as a budding artist; for its enterprise opportunities; or because of the freedom of lifestyle it might open up. They must have lived a fairly bohemian lifestyle surrounded by models and sex workers, neither of the brothers seem to have married. Did Jacques or Charles have a personal interest in BDSM, or did they just meet a patron who guided them into producing fetish content? We will probably never be able to answer these questions.
Ostra Studio & Yva Richard ~ Slaves To Fashion
very interesting article on the early beginnings of bdsm love the pictures love reading these type of articles
Intriguing, corsets and boots, but no caps or trench coats. It can’t be denied that fetishism has recaptured the “extreme baddie”* aesthetic, but you have reminded us that it’s not a game. Thank you for making me think about more than my own indulgences.
(* changed)
I am intrigued by the fact that it would be so easy to re-stage these images in The English Mansion and they would evoque the same erotic response as the originals obviously did. They are a testament to the constancy of human kinky desires.