~ Unknown dates (active ca. 1930s–1970s)
Claire Willows (sometimes spelled Claire Willowes) is a mysterious pseudonymous author and illustrator active in the underground world of English-language fetish and flagellation erotica, primarily from the 1930s onward. Like many creators in this clandestine niche, little is known about her personal life, no confirmed real name, biography, birth or death dates have surfaced.
She is often described by collectors as an "unusual artist," with a distinctive, expressive style that emphasizes power dynamics, submission, discipline, and erotic tension through simple yet evocative line work and half-tone illustrations.
Her stories and illustrations commonly center on corporal punishment, bondage, dominance, and submission, often unfolding in historical or exotic settings, where female figures drive the narrative as protagonists or antagonists.
Illustrations highlight period lingerie, stockings, corsets, chains, birching implements, and intimate scenes of restraint or chastisement, elements that place her firmly in the pre- and post-WWII fetish underground, overlapping with the mail-order scenes of publishers like Irving Klaw (Nutrix/Bizarre) and Gargoyle Press/Sales.
Willows' illustrations (around 30–50 known pieces across her output) are characterized by clean, dynamic compositions that capture erotic intensity without excessive detail. Anecdotes suggest she may have been one of the few female contributors in Irving Klaw's circle, though hard evidence is scarce and mostly collector lore.
Known titles
- Presented in Leather: A Cheerful End to a Tearful Diary (ca. 1930, New York, privately issued)
- Modern Slaves: A Profound Study in the Forces of Destiny (1931, New York, privately issued)
- Three Painful Years (multiple variants, ca. 1957–1970s)
- Happy Tears and More Happy Tears (Gargoyle Press, 1970, two volumes) - not present
- The Fascinating Tyrant (various reprints, sometimes under variant pseudonyms like Jean Saddler) - not present
- Occasional links to short pieces like "Girl Reporter" (1950s booklet, possible Irving Klaw connection, though unconfirmed) - not present
This page owes its existence to a kind message from one of the site's fans, who asked if I was familiar with Claire Willows as an illustrator (and possibly linked to Irving Klaw). The name immediately rang a faint bell, and after a quick dive into my own collection, I realized I had indeed encountered her before: three albums with her illustrations were already quietly sitting in the 'Illustrated Books, Comics and Magazine' collections.
3 albums/21 artworks
Latest Update: February 1, 2026 -> Created a new page and relocated existing albums
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Karen Smits