The photo-realistic illustrations of Épouvantes voluptueuses (Voluptuous Horrors) are clearly by the same ‘Wighead’ as whoever illustrated Chair sanglée, both being published by Le Jardin d’Éros around the same time. The text, by ‘J. van Styk’ who produced nine titles between 1932 and 1935, is almost a repeat of the themes of Chair sanglée, and it is more than likely that ‘J. van Styk’ and ‘Grégor Yvan’ are one and the same.

The nine illustrations and duotone cover are accomplished and imaginative works of fetish art, marred only by the rather crude printing technique of the time; it would be fascinating to know whether the originals have survived in some gentleman’s private collection.

We are grateful to Steve Mullins of the Olympia Press website (www.parisolympiapress.com) for these illustrations.