Tattoo Artist's Advertisement, circa 1925
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Tattoos communicate stories. Their content ranges from deeply personal and traditional--to regrettable and frivolous. In the early 1900s, "Professor" Waters apprenticed as a tattoo artist in carnivals and New York's Bowery District. He ran a successful supply shop in Detroit (1918-1939), patenting the standard "two-coil" tattoo machine in 1929. Designs from his flash sheets continue to inspire tattooists today.
Tattoos communicate stories. Their content ranges from deeply personal and traditional--to regrettable and frivolous. In the early 1900s, "Professor" Waters apprenticed as a tattoo artist in carnivals and New York's Bowery District. He ran a successful supply shop in Detroit (1918-1939), patenting the standard "two-coil" tattoo machine in 1929. Designs from his flash sheets continue to inspire tattooists today.
Artifact
Stat (Copy)
Date Made
circa 1925
Creators
Place of Creation
United States, Michigan, Detroit
United States, New York, New York
Creator Notes
Possibly made by Percy Waters or Charles Wagner.
Keywords
Location
Not on exhibit to the public.
Object ID
80.63.6
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Material
Paper (Fiber product)
Technique
Reprographic processes
Color
Black-and-white (Colors)
Dimensions
Height: 6.5 in
Width: 10.5 in
Inscriptions
WORLD'S BEST | ELECTRIC TATTOOER | AN ARTIST WITH THE NEEDLES | A SPECIALITY IN SPECIAL DESIGNS | MY WORK IS MY BEST ADVERTISEMENT | DESIGNS TATTOOED IN ALL COLORS | LATEST AMERICAN EUROPEAN & JAPANESE DESIGNS. | HIGH CLASS WORK ONLY
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