This is a staggering volume of thousands of examples of the celluloid acetate stencil, an essential tool in the history of tattooing. Mythical creatures, angels and devils, anchors and other nautical symbols, and more abound in stencil form, the classic tracing method that has only increased exponentially in popularity since the rough days of crude materials and callused hands. Before Thermofax(TM) and numbing cream, tattooists had to hone their tracing skills perfectly--and clients had to hope for the best. Over time artists would ask sailors and dock workers to let them trace remarkable tattoos they got at other ports, effectively inventing design replication. Today tattoo artists use tattoo stencils to transfer designs onto wood, quilts, and even cabinets. A worthy companion to Flash from the Bowery: Classic American Tattoos, 1900-1950, this volume continues to ignite the curiosity of American history and tattoo buffs.

The unearthing of authentic celluloid acetate stencils, a project undertaken by Long Island tattoo shopowner and memorabilia collector Cliff White, continues. In this compilation, thousands more artifacts emerge from "deeper inside the trunk" and expose a sprawling collection from the late '50s and early '60s. These facsimiles, represented in their original color and tone, include timeless designs such as anchors and panthers; famous cartoon characters; wizards, unicorns, and leprechauns; cultural and historical symbols, from Marine Corps logos to Asian designs; and hundreds of other styles too numerous to mention here. Marks of original artists shine through in the leaves of this volume, revealing the etchings of rough craftsmen of a half century ago and evoking stories of weathered sailors and hardscrabble New Yorkers that veteran and young tattooists will appreciate. Fans of scrimshaw, folk art, and engraving will also consider this book a massive source of inspiration and awe.

American tattoo master Sailor Jerry Collins of Hawaii is best known for his remarkable tattoo designs, blending the fluidity of Asian motifs into classic American tattoo imagery. Here is a sizeable portion of Sailor Jerrys stencils, spanning from the 1940s to the 1970s, and including pin-ups, roses, bluebirds, hearts and banners and Jerrys infamous military/political cartoons. The value of the stencils is included, with descriptions of stencils and their usage, and a glossary of tattoo terminology.

This is a staggering volume of thousands of examples of the celluloid acetate stencil, an essential tool in the history of tattooing. Mythical creatures, angels and devils, anchors and other nautical symbols, and more abound in stencil form, the classic tracing method that has only increased exponentially in popularity since the rough days of crude materials and callused hands. Before Thermofax(TM) and numbing cream, tattooists had to hone their tracing skills perfectly--and clients had to hope for the best. Over time artists would ask sailors and dock workers to let them trace remarkable tattoos they got at other ports, effectively inventing design replication. Today tattoo artists use tattoo stencils to transfer designs onto wood, quilts, and even cabinets. A worthy companion to Flash from the Bowery: Classic American Tattoos, 1900-1950, this volume continues to ignite the curiosity of American history and tattoo buffs.

Tattoos have been around for thousands of years. (The ancient Egyptians seemed to have favored geometric figures.) Regarded by many who wear them today as a form of personal identification, tattoo designs range from symbols of courage and patriotism to expressions of love and affection. This collection of colorable tattoos — all adapted from patterns created during the first half of the 20th century — lets colorists of all ages apply their own eye-catching hues to thirty pages of intriguing designs. From frightening figures and powerful beasts to good luck symbols, pretty girls, and pierced hearts, the traditional tattoos represent a unique form of body art — and a great source of coloring fun.

"Sailor Jerry" Collins of Honolulu, Hawaii, is arguably the greatest tattoo artist of the 21st Century. Now in a second volume more of his great stencils are reproduced. Hand-cut, hundreds of these basic line works for the pin-ups to the military/political cartoons are printed here for the first time. The pages are perforated to make it easier for today's tattoo artist to display the work of this master.

Between these pages are images of the original acetate rubbings from Charlie Wagner's turn of the 20th century tattoo shop, The Black Eye Barbershop, in the Bowery at Chatham Square in New York. This is the only known art that has survived from this shop, where Samuel J. O'Reilley's modern-day electric tattoo machine was born and patented. The imagery of this classic flash preserves the origins of American tattoos, when tattoo art was transferred to the client from these templates via an acetate stencil. Everything was done by hand until O'Reilley's electrified tattoo machine changed history. This rich heritage of folk art has more than 900 individual pieces of flash that provide commentary on the shop's clientele and reveal some of the social, economic, and political ideas of the time. Including nautical themes, Asian imagery, flowers, boxers, circus characters, and plenty of girls, this is an exciting collection of early American flash and a necessary book for the tattoo artist, aficionado, and student.