The History of Tattooing in Chicago

**Jake** · 01-16-2011

Damn Nick! Awesome photos and that's a list of some pretty huge names that I had no idea went through Chicago at some point in their careers. Great to learn all this history!!!

**Lochlan** · 01-16-2011

Nick, you have upt the ante and it is much appreciated as a whole new gratitude for starting this new project with Scott has been felt and experienced. Thanks for taking the time to start and write a historically rich history that is much needed on how Chicago influenced various aspects of tattooing. The pictures are just extra treats that enrich the words and names. With that in mind I do want to ask people to not rip these photos from the site as Nick is trusting us all with stuff from his personal collection as well as pictures and stories that he has done lots of research on finding and obtaining. If you like it enough and want to share the photos and stories leave them here and just send people the link.

I had no idea about tattooing in the back of arcades until recently when Freddy Corbin shared some of San Francisco and Oakland's tattoo history with me.

If you enjoyed this tattoo history here are some other ones LSTers have written:
Was Tattooing as popular 100 years ago?
Swinggates and The Pike
Dan Higgs
Tattoo books
Old Tattoo Pictures
Spaulding and Rogers
222 Tattoo
Scottish Tattoo History
Tattoos Today and Research

Thanks again and I await the next instalment but until then will enjoy the ones thus far!!!

**AlannaCA** · 01-30-2011

hiya, i am trying to find out more about Amund dietzel. i notice you mentioned his name up there. what little i have seen of his flash i really really like and i want to see more pictures but google is really not that helpful. is there anywhere else i can look that someone can recommend to me?

**Deb Yarian** · 01-30-2011

Alanna,
Alanna
I think Jon may be on here-
His book. "These Old Blue Arms" is excellent.
I loved it.

Amund Dietzel

**AlannaCA** · 01-30-2011

deb, the book looks amazing but i just need to find someone that has a copy so i can look it over!!

**Deb Yarian** · 01-30-2011

Nick this is a great post
Thank you

**Avery Taylor** · 02-08-2011

Some how I missed this thread until now. Great stuff. Thanks for taking the time to write it all out. I especially like the Ralph Johnstone stuff. Anytime I see any of his flash I am blown away by it, and his panther neck tattoo is the toughest tattoo that I have ever seen.

**Mr. Frog** · 02-10-2011

Thanks Nick. Awesome! The girl who's talking about the Dietzel book... why don't you just buy the book? It's worth it. He's also Following it up with a second volume.

**Lochlan** · 05-09-2011

I just revisited/rediscovered this thread and hope it is not the last installment on the series of Chicago's tattoo history and/or new threads on other cities tattoo histories!