The Tattooists
Morse, Albert L.
Published by Albert L. Morse 1977,
Hard Cover, $125.00 US.+$5.00 shipping (in US.)
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Reviewed by: Chris Pfouts for International Tattoo Art (1065-643X), October 1994

This hard-bound, coffee table-sized book was published in 1977, at a critical moment in tattoo history. The famous Houston convention had been held the year before, and the pendulum was wringing in a new direction. The art of tattoo was beginning to move off the skid rows and sailor dives and onto Main Street. As a measure of how pivotal this point in tattoo history was, Lyle Tuttle, owner of one of the largest collections of tattoo items in the world, does not collect items from after 1976. He considers the Houston convention to be the turning point between the real old school and the modern age. So Morse's book is almost like a snapshot of an historical moment.

To his credit, Morse nailed interviews with artists of the old school, many of whom were hale and hearty in the mid-1970's, along with guys who were working the changes, the young guns of the period. Time flies when you're having fun, of course and the young guns of 1976 are among the old lions of today.

Morse includes interviews, along with pictures, flash and art, from Bert Grimm, Paul Rogers, a young Ed Hardy, Cliff Raven, Spider Webb, Phil Sparrow, Lyle Tuttle, Huck Spaulding, artist and carnival tattooed lady Irene Libarry, Davy Jones, Jack Armstrong, Doc Webb, Steve Stone, Dean, Bert Rodriguez, and Peter Poulous. Certain tattooers would not, or could not, speak for themselves. In those cases, Morse created profiles of these luminaries in different ways, using quotes from others and photos to tell the story. In this way he featured Coleman, a seminal artist whose name is not well known today; Coleman died in 1973. There's a bio, a picture of him and two pages of his outstanding flash. Morse has nice spreads on Charlie Wagner, Cliff Raven, Bob Olson, Pinky Yan, Sailor Bill, Madam Lazonga, a very youthful Marty Holcomb, Sailor Jerry, Bob and Larry Shaw, Col. William Todd and others.

The Tattooists doesn't include acres of flash, but there is a lot, all very tasty, and mostly from the old masters, people like Amund Dietzel, W. Grimshaw, Brooklyn Joe Lieber, Ben Corday, Milton Zeis, Doc Forbes and Cliff Raven. Scattered through the book are other fascinating artifacts, things like letters from the Zeis supply company, ads for a German tattooed-lady sideshow attraction and, of course, some really magnificent tattoos, including a Christ head by Zeke Owen that's otherworldly.
There are also quotes from collectors, a breed of human that was not nearly so plentiful in the mid-1970s, little quotes from old magazine stories on tattooing and pictures of collectors, like Sailor Sid, who looked a whole lot different than he does now.

With a $100 ticket, The Tattooists rises to the price level of an investment - which it really is. Morse says he has about 200 copies left, most of them shrink-wrapped, which may or may not matter. If you tell him ITA sent you, he'll autograph it.

OTHER EXCITING REVIEWS FOR THE TATTOOISTS

This oversize hardcover book features interviews with the artists and examples of their designs.
The book's lush color and black and white duotone photographs were exhibited at the Oakland Museum and Centre Pompidou, Paris.

"This lovely volume presents a fascinating picture of the work-a-day world of the tattooists and the attitudes of the collectors. The artful construction of the album compliments the artistry of the tattooists. The color pictures are especially vivid. THE TATTOOISTS should have broad appeal. It is for collectors, connoisseurs and the curious."
SAN FRANCISCO REVIEW OF BOOKS

"An exploration of the genre of the tattoo in depth, along with the lifestyles of tattooists as businessmen and artists in an intriguing manner."
LOS ANGELES TIMES

"Morse has produced a beautiful book. Colorful, informative and different from any other book presently on the market."
HUSTLER MAGAZINE

"We recommend THE TATTOOISTS without reservation. Its timely information about present-day artists and their work make it a necessary part of every fan's collection."
TATTOO NEWS

"A curious delightful book."
CREATIVE CAMERA

"Les photos sant spectaculaires, et en lisant le texte qui court dessous on apprend que chez les Tchoukes des Kouriles les jeunes filles couquette se font tatouer une barbe et une moustache, ou encore que Jesus-Christ avait une croix tatauee a son bras droit. . . "
LE MONDE

"THE TATTOOISTS is a fair treat. We can satisfy our voyeuristic urges in an intensive examination of the pictures and we can read all the fine print in the original patent application for tattooing technology. We can ponder the fact that tattooing, at least to the artists, is a serious calling."
BERKELEY MONTHLY

"A fantastic, magnificent artist's book." Judith Hoffberg, editor
ART LIBRARIES OF NORTH AMERICA JOURNAL