Tattoo Flash, circa 1920
01
Artifact Overview
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 Details
Artifact
Stat (Copy)
Date Made
circa 1920
Creators
Place of Creation
Creator Notes
Made by Percy Waters in Detroit, Michigan.
Location
Not on exhibit to the public.
Object ID
80.63.5
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Material
Paper (Fiber product)
Technique
Hand coloring
Reprographic processes
Color
Black-and-white (Colors)
Red
Green
Dimensions
Height: 14.875 in
Width: 19.75 in
Inscriptions
Front:
NO. 5 | DESIGNED BY PERCY WATERS, DETROIT, MICH.
Reverse:
FROM | PROF. PERCY WATERS | PREMIER | TATTOO ARTIST |
[...] MONROE AVE. | DETROIT, MICH. | AND [written in ink] |
1050 RANDOLPH ST. | DETROIT, MICH.
Each design signed:
"P. Waters."
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