Vintage Tattoo Flash is a one-of-a-kind visual explorationof the history and evolution of tattooing in America. Aluscious, offset-printed, hardcover tome-a beautiful andserious addition to the understanding of one of the world'soldest and most popular art forms. Electric tattooing as we know it today was invented inNew York City at the turn of the 19th century. In the firstdays of American tattooing, tattoos were primarily wornby sailors and soldiers, outlaws and outsiders. The visuallanguage of what came to be known as "traditional tattooing"was developed in those early days on the Boweryand catered to the interests of the clientele. Commonimagery that soon became canon included sailing ships,women, hearts, roses, daggers, eagles, dragons, wolves,panthers, skulls, crosses, and popular cartoon charactersof the era. The first tattooists also figured out that usingbold outlines, complimented by solid color and smoothshading, was the proper technique for creating art on abody that would stand the test of time. In the over 100years since then, techniques and styles have evolved, andthe customer base has expanded, but the core subjectmatter and philosophy developed at the dawn of electrictattooing has persisted as perennial favorites through themodern era. While most tattoos are inherently ephemeral, transportedon skin until the death of the collector, a visual recordexists in the form of tattoo flash: the hand-painted sheetsof designs posted in tattoo shops for customers to selectfrom. Painted and repainted, stolen, traded, bought andsold, these sheets are passed between artists through onechannel or another, often having multiple useful lives in avariety of shops scattered across time and geography. Theutility of these original pieces of painted art has made itso that original examples can still be found in use or up forgrabs if you know where to look. Vintage Tattoo Flash draws from the personal collectionof Jonathan Shaw-renowned outlaw tattooist andauthor-and represents a selection of over 300 pieces offlash from one of the largest private collections in existence.Vintage Tattoo Flash spans the first roughly 75years of American tattooing from the 1900s Bowery, to50s Texas, through the Pike in the 60s and the developmentof the first black and grey, single-needle tattooingin LA in the 70s. The book lovingly reproduces entirelyunpublished sheets of original flash from the likes of BobShaw, Zeke Owen, Tex Rowe, Ted Inman, Ace Harlyn, EdSmith, Paul Rogers, the Moskowitz brothers, and many,many others relatively known and unknown.

Packed with illustrations, this book celebrates the art of the tattoo. It includes tattoo designs that all specially drawn for the book range from traditional motifs hearts, sailors, girls, skulls, roses to more elaborate compositions with a contemporary edge.

If you want current Tattoo art, you have come to the right place. This new book from ArtKulture is made up of fresh Tattoo Flash from the artists at Diamond Body Art, one of the most popular shops in the Phoenix area. Never before seen in print, these images include five popular categories: Traditional, Neo-Traditional, Realism, Blackwork, and Geometric. Published by ArtKulture, an imprint of Wolfgang Publications, TATTOO Flash Art Vol 1 includes more than 200 pieces of flash art. These powerful Tattoo images are useful to both Tattoo artists and Tattoo aficionados who are looking for inspiration and trying to decide on a great design for their next piece of ink.

Hundreds of anchors, exotic dancers, angry daggers, and patriotic decorations that adorned the flesh of veterans returning from the world wars. This collection of historic flash is a sentimental look at the body art available during the early 20th Century; and an exciting examination of bold designs that have stood the test of time. Peruse an exhibition wartime art from the turn of the century through World War II.