Jack Wier

These were done on South State St. Chicago, circa 1960's. Artists unknown.

Since Chicago Tattoo has been on the same 2 blocks for almost 40 years we get alot of people who come in with old work from Cliff Raven and Dale Grande so i try to take photos of these tattoos to document them.
I often see old timers walking around the neighborhood or in the grocery store and see their tattoos and try to ask about them and photo them, there is just something about talking to old dudes about their tattoos that gets their attention and for the most part gets them into talking about where they got in and when and sometimes they can remember who it was.
Im sure we all do this so i wanted to start a little thread and put up pics of old tattoos that we have all documented.
The first three tattoos where done at Cliff Raven Studios (Chicago Tattoo) by Cliff Raven in approximately 1970.. since i cant figure out how to make these images larger you can click on them to get a better look.

i look forward to the pics
Nick

... he sure did ;)

@RoryQ for some reason every time I watch Sons Of Anarchy Clay reminds me of a Kerry Blue .

Part 4

"Is that a collaboration " ..... deVita " All tattoos are a collaboration "

Ha he is cantankerous in a sweet way if thats possible.
"skateboards are ok for kids but grown ups on skateboards? thats a dumb look"

Part 4 is my favorite episode so far. Huck Spaulding hesitant to do a large back piece... that's wild.

Honestly I didn't know much about DeVita before, and thru the first three episodes I was just thinking to myself "yeah this guy's got a lot of history and a personality and is way different, but what's all the hubbub about?"
Then I watched this one. And I got it. Oh man words cannot describe

Indeed. "Proud of you".

Just in case anyone was wondering or didn't read this.
Dear readers,
First of all thanks again for all the support! We can’t thank you enough!
A lot of people are asking questions about the situation at the moment. The story is so complicated I can imagine it’s not really clear if you’re not in it as we are. It’s not even clear to ourselves actually… I will try to explain it as clearly as possible in this blog.
Most of you probably don’t know me. I studied cultural heritage and started working at the museum 1,5 year ago, a few months before the opening. I primarily joined because I love what Henk is doing as a collector. There are not many people that have such passion for collecting as he has, these days.
Henk spent a few years searching for a museum to take care of his collection. Curators and experts told him the collection had the most value if it stayed together. That’s when he started thinking about building a tattoo museum again. He met a reintegration company that was looking for working places. They had some money to invest, Henk had his collection, and so the idea of a cooperation was born. This company would pay the rent for the first 10 years and the museum offered working places to people who are fundamentally separated from the working community. Due to a lack of time and in good trust we started building the museum without putting any of these agreements in a contract.
Part of the agreement was that the foundation Amsterdam Tattoo Museum was going to pay for departments like promotion, events, exhibitions, etc. But as long as there wasn’t a signed contract al the revenue went to “Partners aan het werk” (the reintegration company). And also the invoices because the museum was already up and running and you can’t have a museum without promotion, events and exhibitions.
But during the short time the companies were working together it became clear there was somewhat of a cultural difference. Something simple as replacing a lightbulb became a bureaucratic process. And as you can imagine this is not really how Henk was used to work. I’m not saying the lightbulb caused the problems, but it might have something to do with it ;) Henk might have had a bad temper now and then, but I know this was always from his passion for the museum.
Small discussions turned into bigger ones and the fact that there still wasn’t a solid contract didn’t help either. In the meantime board members left, some just gave up because of the nasty negotiations, personal accusations. This was not what they signed up for. The board members leaving slowed down the process and the whole negotiation thing turned in a vicious circle. In the meantime the Dutch politics changed and less money went to commercial reintegration companies, so also to “Partners aan het werk”. These changes hit the company hard, salaries were payed later every month. From the perspective what’s best for the collection the new board of the foundation Amsterdam Tattoo Museum decided to end the cooperation with Partners aan het werk. The unpleasant way the meetings went had a lot to do with this decision. There just were too many accusations and disagreements.
Then everything went really fast. One day we where negotiating with “Partners aan het werk” and the landlord (the building is rented by “Partners aan het werk”) and the other day we received a letter that told us we were all banned from the building: Henk, Louise, his kids, the board and his employees. The letter also said we were given 14 days to get our collection out. We were surprised by this development and decided not just to give up. We see the design of the museum as an artwork on its own that Henk made and don’t want to just give this piece of art away.
We tried to get the art we lent from Sailor Jerry out, because the owners don’t trust the art to be save in there without Henk around, but the answer was no. So much for them telling us to get our collection out…
What’s happening next? I don’t know. The most important is to get our collection back. We hope we can stay at the Plantage Middenlaan but there is a chance we have to look for a new building. One thing is sure: we need money. For starting up -again- in our old building. Or to build a new museum somewhere else in Amsterdam.
I know one thing for sure: we can do this. I’ve never seen something like this before, the support is overwhelming. Tattoo and art lovers got together and are ready to fight for what is ours. Even without a clear plan we already received a lot of donations. There are some events organized: auctions, tattooing, benefit events. I tried to make a complete list here, if you miss something or organizing an event to raise some money yourself email me and I’ll add it to the list.
Thank you all so much for everything, all the support, donations & offered help.
Hope to welcome you all soon in our museum.
Tessa

i feel like this thread should be renamed "List of people Bunny gets tattooed by because she's way cooler than I am"
Seriously though, awesome.

I was 15 and I forgot to bring my clothes into the bathroom with me to shower(so I was fully dressed when exiting). I went out to get my shirt and my mom saw the tattoo on my arm. After gasping she said, "well I guess I should've expected this". Soon after she kicked me out of the house. Four years later she let me move back in for a little and let me set up a 'home studio' in the garage and even tolerated all the cholos coming over to get tattooed. Very hip lady

I was 14 and my mom chased me through the house trying to stab me with a pair of scissors. Ha-ha lets say it didn't go well.

Interesting. Well, just on a positive note. My parents were born and raised in the bible belt, however, they moved to California as soon as they had me because they weren't happy there. My mom was raised Southern Baptist, and never wanted to force any beliefs on me, therefore, as soon as I felt alienated in church, I stopped going, which was quite young.
My mom took me to get my first piercings in high school because she said "At least a hole can heal, better than a tattoo!"
Hah, so she actually went with me to hold my hand through my first tattoo a little while later. She thought it was so beautiful that she considered getting one done herself by the same artist. She has one tattoo. She was a very sheltered and goody-goody I like to call her, all her life, especially before she hit 30. However, in one rebellious moment, her girlfriends convinced her to get my dad's initials on her chest. She drank 3 beers through a straw and let someone do it right there in the bar with a needle and ink. Most of my life she told me they were my initials (my dad and I have the same ones).
My mom makes me show my tattoo (on my ribs) EVERYWHERE I go, it's pretty annoying at this point.
Meawhile my dad was as wild as they came growing up. He tried to get a tattoo once on his bicep, it was too painful for him. He has a DOT tattooed there, I think I must have made fun of it since I was 10 or so. When I showed him my first tattoo, he was blown away by it, and ashamed at the story of his dot tattoo, haha...he kept asking if I was ok, since I showed him when the tattoo was still fresh. I'm blessed to have great parents.

I got my first tattoo when i was 23,and it was a heart with Mom inside.I got it because i love my Mom,but also because she told me if i didn't go to rehab,she would throw me out of the house.I never thought of getting a tattoo before,but in rehab,my roomate was in the special forces,and he had all these cool tattoos.So when i got home,i wen't to the local biker/tattoo shop and got me a Mom Tattoo.My Mother didn't really care much..But she's one of the reasons why i don't smoke PCP anymore.

I think it was 2002…. I hadn’t been home for a while from joining the Navy and so when I went home on leave for the first time in 2 years, my brother and I decided to bond by getting a tattoo. We told our mom we were going to the fish/reptile store, which my brother spends a long as time at. 6 hours later after paying a visit to the Tattoo Asylum in Las Vegas, NV. On my forearm, I got a rose and some background work on a recent tattoo I had acquired elsewhere. To hide it, I went to Wal-mart to get a long sleeve shirt to cover it up. I came home rocking my new forearm tattoo, but next thing I know, my mom sees me and gives me a hug, as she pulls me to go talk to my aunt who I haven’t seen in a while, she drags her hand down my arm! So I tried to hold back the cringing, but when she started to squeeze I made a cringe and after she thought about it for…. 15 seconds, she says “Que Chingado! You don’t wear long sleeves, What did you do?” She pulled up my sleeve and POW! That’s how she learned I got them. She was upset for a while, but she got over it. She still doesn’t approve of tattoos and she especially doesn’t like that I’m adding more to my body, but she says, “(in heavy Mexican accent) It’s not my problem, its tu esposas.” Which my wife kind of dislikes, but in the end she sits by me at the tattoo shop while I add some new ones. Haha.

Cat?
Fish?
Catatafish?

Floyd Samson tattooed by Milton Zeis

Les Skuse. Bristol Tattoo Club.

Painless Tryon by Gus Wagner:

Tommy Stephens by Bert Grimm:

Unknown:

Hello to all. Ran across the sight tonight and thought why not.
A former Marine in my early 40's and glad to be alive at this point.
I am not new to tattoos as I have several and am currently working on an arm sleeve and leg sleeve. I just sat for my second 12+ hour session that started above my toes on the left foot and to my knee and completely wraps around leg. It is a very colorful tattoo with lots of detail. It is a Pheonix rising from the ashes engulfed in blue and orange flame with a large star on the calf
I can hardley put weight on my left leg today as I think my session was a bit to long.
Anyway, I'll get some pics up and I appreciate you having me.

I regret drinking too much tequila and whiskey last night and throwing up all over Jacksonville last night.
- - - Updated - - -
I regret saying last night twice in my post above

Some stuff I look at from time to time. Keeps me going.