It's About Time for a New Golden Age
In the mood for a little nostalgia? Good, me too.Lately I've been contemplating the Golden Age of SM. It's hard to say exactly when the Golden Age was, though, and different people will have different opinions on the matter.
For me, the Golden Age of SM occurred in the 1970s. This was when the American company known as House of Milan were doing their best work and Japan's Nikkatsu were putting out their classic bondage films starring the legendary Tani Naomi.
However, you might go back to the late 1940s (or perhaps even prior to WWII) if you're a fan of Itou Seiu, the renowned artist whom many regard as the father of modern day kinbaku. I don't think I would consider this time period the Golden Age, however, since there were so few people openly (or somewhat openly) engaged in SM activities.
Itou Seiu was truly a pioneer but the Golden Age was yet to come.
You could make a case for the 50s and the arrival on the scene of the magazine Kitan Club. More and more people started coming out of the closet and the freedom to express oneself in kinky ways continued its slow but steady march forward.
The definition of the Golden Age of SM may be somewhat fluid, but I know one thing: Everything went to hell by the 1990s.
