Kink in the Archives: London’s Wildest Fetish Treasure Trove at Bishopsgate Institute
Picture this — you’re in London for the weekend and as you stroll past Liverpool Street Station, dodging commuters and Pret A Manger queues, no one would imagine that this grand Victorian building, that looks like it belongs in a period drama, houses a unique kinky wonderland archive. Head down the rabbit hole, where you will see a winged penis trophy, knee-high leather boots from a legendary gay bar, a spanking bench rescued from someone’s shed, and enough rubber, latex, and leather to make your average librarian blush.
Welcome to the UK Leather and Fetish Archive (aka UK Fetish Archive) at Bishopsgate Institute. The world’s first dedicated home for the UK’s kink, BDSM, leather, and latex history. Astonishingly, this is open to the public and FREE. No secret handshake required — just check your bag and fill in a form.
Launched in 2016 with the records from gay male leather clubs (think Midland Link Motor Sports Club, MSC London, Manchester Super Chain, and the Essex Leather crowd), this archive has since exploded into a celebration of every flavour of fetish. It now holds archives from organisations, clubs, and individuals across all sexualities, genders, and persuasions. Plus there are thousands of books, pamphlets, magazines, flyers, photos, clothing, and ephemera dating back to the 1850s and 1860s. This includes rare 1930s issues of London Life (full of rubber mac fantasies and saucy correspondence) to runs of magazines: Skin Two, Atomage, Drummer, Marquis, Heavy Rubber and even illegal 1960s–80s VHS tapes and 8mm films — it’s a living, breathing timeline of how Britain got its kink on.
However, it’s all about the people who have been archived. This isn’t a bunch of dusty boxes — it’s personal stories from the scene’s legends. Here are some of the stars whose archives live here:
Mistress Sidonia (aka Sidonia von Bork) – her massive Fetish Club Flyers collection is a time capsule of 1990s–2000s London nightlife, stuffed with hundreds of flyers from Torture Garden, Club Rub, Skin Two Rubber Balls, The Firm, FIST, SM Pride, and more. She even tossed in ephemera from fetish retailers and body-mod spots.
Miss Kim Rub — legendary founder of the iconic Club Rub, whose flyers, newsletter, press cuttings, CD of monthly event photos and hard-copy photos capture that pure 1996–2016 (20 years) London fetish scene energy.
Dominatrix Eva Oh donated her actual Sex Worker of the Year trophy (yes, the golden winged penis one), a script from an Erika Lust film, and Femdom portraits by artist Sardax. She’s all about adding contemporary voices to the “ancestors” already in the collection.
Brew Hunter — the keeper of memories from The Backstreet (London’s longest-running men-only leather bar, sadly closed in 2022). There are boots, cages, and stories from Mastery nights that make you feel the history in your bones.
And don’t miss named collections like the Diana Von Rigg Archive, The Baroness Archive, Jim Stewart Archive, Eric Chaline Archive, LeatherDyke Archive, Centurian Archive (the world’s oldest fetish company, complete with artwork and gear from Reno!), Mory Archive (1960s bondage illustrations), Sugar May Archive, The Black Collection, and Under the Counter Archive. Plus contributions from Mistress Demonic’s latex outfits, Dykes on Bikes, SM Dykes, and even a Tory MP’s secret rubber scrapbooks. It’s basically a who’s-who of UK kink royalty.
The archivist Stef Dickers and team keep it all safe, digitising where possible and reminding us that kink isn’t new — it’s been policed, raided, and thriving for over a century.
How to Visit
How to access this kinky wonderland is easier than you think! No fancy membership, no ID checks, no “must be over 18” barriers at the door (though the content is very much adult). Just show up during opening hours, head to the Researchers’ Area in the Library, and dive in. Everything is reference-only (you can’t take the golden penis-trophy home, sorry), but you can browse the online catalogue first if you want to plan your visit. It’s free, wheelchair accessible, assistance dogs welcome, and super welcoming. So whether you’re a serious researcher, an art student hunting inspiration, a tattoo artist looking for vintage designs, or just a curious kinkster tracing your scene’s roots — it can be found at Bishopsgate Institute, 230 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 4QH (literally opposite Liverpool Street Station).
Opening Days & Times (Researchers’ Area):
Monday: 10:00–17:00
Tuesday: 10:00–17:00
Wednesday: 10:00–20:00 (late-night kink browsing, anyone?)
Thursday: 10:00–17:00
Friday: 10:00–17:00
Saturday & Sunday: CLOSED
Double-check via email (library@bishopsgate.org.uk) or phone (020 7392 9290) because there are occasional early closes (like 14:30 on certain Mondays). They’re open every weekday otherwise.
Pro tip: While you’re there, peek at their merch collab with Content Warning – limited-edition T-shirts featuring designs like “Dominatrix” and “Leather Bar” that support the archive. Buy one and you’re basically donating to preserve history!
Whether you’re tying up loose ends on your own fetish journey or just want to see a vintage spanking bench up close, the UK Fetish Archive proves one glorious thing: London’s kink scene has always been here, it’s documented beautifully, and it’s waiting for you with open arms.
Written by Anon.
