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- Edison Electric Pen, circa 1877 - Thomas Edison's electric pen, an ancestor of both the mimeograph and the tattoo needle, was a successful product in the mid-1870s. Users would write normally with the pen, which, instead of a nib, had a needle powered by an electric motor. The needle poked holes into a stencil, which was then used to copy the document. Many businesses found document duplication an attractive possibility.
- circa 1877
- Collections - Artifact
Edison Electric Pen, circa 1877
Thomas Edison's electric pen, an ancestor of both the mimeograph and the tattoo needle, was a successful product in the mid-1870s. Users would write normally with the pen, which, instead of a nib, had a needle powered by an electric motor. The needle poked holes into a stencil, which was then used to copy the document. Many businesses found document duplication an attractive possibility.
- Edison Electric Pen, circa 1877 - Thomas Edison's electric pen, an ancestor of both the mimeograph and the tattoo needle, was a successful product in the mid-1870s. Users would write normally with the pen, which, instead of a nib, had a needle powered by an electric motor. The needle poked holes into a stencil, which was then used to copy the document. Many businesses found document duplication an attractive possibility.
- circa 1877
- Collections - Artifact
Edison Electric Pen, circa 1877
Thomas Edison's electric pen, an ancestor of both the mimeograph and the tattoo needle, was a successful product in the mid-1870s. Users would write normally with the pen, which, instead of a nib, had a needle powered by an electric motor. The needle poked holes into a stencil, which was then used to copy the document. Many businesses found document duplication an attractive possibility.
- Edison Electric Pen Base, circa 1877 - Thomas Edison's electric pen, an ancestor of both the mimeograph and the tattoo needle, was a successful product in the mid-1870s. Users would write normally with the pen, which, instead of a nib, had a needle powered by an electric motor. The needle poked holes into a stencil, which was then used to copy the document. Many businesses found document duplication an attractive possibility.
- circa 1877
- Collections - Artifact
Edison Electric Pen Base, circa 1877
Thomas Edison's electric pen, an ancestor of both the mimeograph and the tattoo needle, was a successful product in the mid-1870s. Users would write normally with the pen, which, instead of a nib, had a needle powered by an electric motor. The needle poked holes into a stencil, which was then used to copy the document. Many businesses found document duplication an attractive possibility.
- Edison Electric Pen, circa 1877 - Thomas Edison's electric pen, an ancestor of both the mimeograph and the tattoo needle, was a successful product in the mid-1870s. Users would write normally with the pen, which, instead of a nib, had a needle powered by an electric motor. The needle poked holes into a stencil, which was then used to copy the document. Many businesses found document duplication an attractive possibility.
- circa 1877
- Collections - Artifact
Edison Electric Pen, circa 1877
Thomas Edison's electric pen, an ancestor of both the mimeograph and the tattoo needle, was a successful product in the mid-1870s. Users would write normally with the pen, which, instead of a nib, had a needle powered by an electric motor. The needle poked holes into a stencil, which was then used to copy the document. Many businesses found document duplication an attractive possibility.
- Edison's Autographic Press and Electric Pen, 1875-1880 - Thomas Edison's electric pen, an ancestor of both the mimeograph and the tattoo needle, was a successful product in the mid-1870s. Users would write normally with the pen, which, instead of a nib, had a needle powered by an electric motor. The needle poked holes into a stencil, which was then used to copy the document. Many businesses found document duplication an attractive possibility.
- 1875-1880
- Collections - Artifact
Edison's Autographic Press and Electric Pen, 1875-1880
Thomas Edison's electric pen, an ancestor of both the mimeograph and the tattoo needle, was a successful product in the mid-1870s. Users would write normally with the pen, which, instead of a nib, had a needle powered by an electric motor. The needle poked holes into a stencil, which was then used to copy the document. Many businesses found document duplication an attractive possibility.
- Tattoo Artist's Advertisement, circa 1925 - 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.
- circa 1925
- Collections - Artifact
Tattoo Artist's Advertisement, circa 1925
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.
- An Artist with the Needles - Learn more about our astonishingly complete collection related to "Professor" Percy Waters, an early 20th-century Detroit tattoo artist.
- October 10, 2014
- Collections - Article
An Artist with the Needles
Learn more about our astonishingly complete collection related to "Professor" Percy Waters, an early 20th-century Detroit tattoo artist.
- Innovation Nation, Season 4 - <p>The Henry Ford's Innovation Nation, which aired for 10 seasons on CBS, showcased present-day change-makers from all over the world alongside innovators of the past whose stories are told through the archives and experiences at The Henry Ford. In Season 4, Mo Rocca explores topics on the Rise of the Diesel-Electric Locomotive, the Evolution of Aviation, Menlo Park, and more!</p>
- January 16, 2018
- Collections - Video
Innovation Nation, Season 4
The Henry Ford's Innovation Nation, which aired for 10 seasons on CBS, showcased present-day change-makers from all over the world alongside innovators of the past whose stories are told through the archives and experiences at The Henry Ford. In Season 4, Mo Rocca explores topics on the Rise of the Diesel-Electric Locomotive, the Evolution of Aviation, Menlo Park, and more!
- Tattoo Kit, circa 1910 -
- circa 1910
- Collections - Artifact
Tattoo Kit, circa 1910
- Plastic Tattoo Stencils, 1900-1950 - Tattoo stencils range in material from disposable paper to plastic. Designs were drawn on transfer paper or scratched into plastic with a needle. With plastic stencils, powdered charcoal was rubbed into the lines; Vaseline was applied to the skin. When the stencil was pressed against the skin, the charcoal transferred as an outline. Stencils allowed tattooists to circulate and exchange ideas.
- 1900-1950
- Collections - Artifact
Plastic Tattoo Stencils, 1900-1950
Tattoo stencils range in material from disposable paper to plastic. Designs were drawn on transfer paper or scratched into plastic with a needle. With plastic stencils, powdered charcoal was rubbed into the lines; Vaseline was applied to the skin. When the stencil was pressed against the skin, the charcoal transferred as an outline. Stencils allowed tattooists to circulate and exchange ideas.